Does anybody know a 5-lettered word meaning 'Atmosphere' with the pattern E _ E _ E ? The 1st 'e' comes from 'Thread' as an answer to 'A strand of cotton'; 2nd 'e' from 'Witness' answering the clue 'Observer'; and the 3rd 'e' from 'Heeds' from the clue 'Hears'. 'Watcher' is an alternative to 'Witness' and 'Harks' an alternative for 'Heeds'. That would allow the word 'Ether' for 'Atmosphere' but would leave D _ R __ S _ as the pattern for the answer to the clue 'Cease' ... I have put 'Desist' as the answer.