net

¹

[ net ]

noun

1. a bag or other contrivance of strong thread or cord worked into an open, meshed fabric, for catching fish, birds, or other animals:

   a butterfly net.

2. a piece of meshed fabric designed to serve a specific purpose, as to divide a court in racket games or protect against insects:

   a tennis net; a mosquito net.

3. anything serving to catch or ensnare:

   a police net to trap the bank robber.

4. a lacelike fabric with a uniform mesh of cotton, silk, rayon, nylon, etc., often forming the foundation of any of various laces.
5. (in tennis, badminton, etc.) a ball that hits the net.
6. Often nets. the goal in hockey or lacrosse.
7. any network or reticulated system of filaments, lines, veins, or the like.
8. Telecommunications. any network containing computers and telecommunications equipment.
9. Sometimes Net. Digital Technology. internet (preceded by the, except when used before a noun):

   An overwhelming majority of Americans now have access to the net at home or at work.

10. Mathematics. the abstraction, in topology, of a sequence; a map from a directed set to a given space.
11. Net, Astronomy. the constellation Reticulum.
12. Informal. a radio or television network.

verb (used with object)

, net·ted, net·ting.

1. to cover, screen, or enclose with a net or netting:

   netting the bed to keep out mosquitoes.

2. to take with a net:

   to net fish.

3. to set or use nets in (a river, stream, etc.), as for catching fish.

   Synonyms: trap, capture, seize

4. to catch or ensnare:

   to net a dangerous criminal.

5. (in tennis, badminton, etc.) to hit (the ball) into the net.

net

²

[ net ]

adjective

1. remaining after deductions, as for charges or expenses ( gross ):

   net earnings.

2. sold at a stated price with all parts and charges included and with all deductions having been made.
3. final; totally conclusive:

   After all that work, what was the net result?

4. (of weight) after deduction of tare, tret, or both.

noun

1. net income, profit, or the like.

verb (used with object)

, net·ted, net·ting.

1. to gain or produce as clear profit.

NET

³

1. National Educational Television.

net

¹

/ nɛt /

noun

1. an openwork fabric of string, rope, wire, etc; mesh retiary
2. a device made of net, used to protect or enclose things or to trap animals
3. 1. a thin light mesh fabric of cotton, nylon, or other fibre, used for curtains, dresses, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      net curtains

4. a plan, strategy, etc, intended to trap or ensnare

   the murderer slipped through the police net

5. sport
   1. a strip of net that divides the playing area into two equal parts
   2. a shot that hits the net, whether or not it goes over
6. the goal in soccer, hockey, etc
7. often plural cricket
   1. a pitch surrounded by netting, used for practice
   2. a practice session in a net
8. informal.
   short for internet
9. another word for network

verb

1. tr to catch with or as if with a net; ensnare
2. tr to shelter or surround with a net
3. intr sport to score a goal

   Rangers netted three times in seven minutes

4. to make a net out of (rope, string, etc)
5. intr to hit a shot into the net

net

²

/ nɛt /

adjective

1. remaining after all deductions, as for taxes, expenses, losses, etc Compare gross

   net profit

2. (of weight) after deducting tare
3. ultimate; final; conclusive (esp in the phrase net result )

noun

1. net income, profits, weight, etc

verb

1. tr to yield or earn as clear profit

net

³

the internet domain name for

1. a company or organization

net

1. What remains after all deductions have been made. ( Compare gross .)

Other Words From

• netta·ble adjective
• netlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of net¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English,  Old English noun net(t); cognate with Dutch, Old Norse net, Gothic nati, German Netz; akin to Latin nōdus “knot”; verb derivative of the noun

Origin of net²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English net, nette “worthy, good, after deductions”; neat ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of net¹

Old English net; related to Gothic nati, Dutch net

Origin of net²

C14: clean, neat, from French net neat ¹; related to Dutch net, German nett

Example Sentences

The percentages might sound high but only apply to certain aspects of production, for example, thereby limiting the net impact, said Daniels.

From Salon

Since the Right to Buy policy was introduced in 1980, almost every year has seen a net loss in social housing stock as successive governments have failed to replace the housing that has been bought or demolished.

From BBC

Nor would it do much to defray the estimated $4-trillion 10-year cost of extending parts of the 2017 Republican tax cut, which is the ostensible reason for seeking out penny-ante savings in budget categories such as a social safety net, according to the Washington Post.

From Los Angeles Times

Ventura County officials are gathering information and resources for residents and farmers who have lost their property or suffered damage, but there isn’t a financial safety net for field workers because of their undocumented immigration status, according to local nonprofit groups.

From Los Angeles Times

With James well out of the play and Davis on the bench, that chant faintly caught steam for the player picked 17th in this past NBA draft, a player who, for the second straight home game, had the crowd bouncing as shot after shot ripped through the net.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accumulate
• bring in
• earn
• reap