web

[ web ]

noun

1. something formed by or as if by weaving or interweaving.
2. a thin, silken material spun by spiders and the larvae of some insects, as the webworms and tent caterpillars; cobweb.
3. Textiles.
   1. a woven fabric, especially a whole piece of cloth in the course of being woven or after it comes from the loom.
   2. the flat woven strip, without pile, often found at one or both ends of an Oriental rug.
4. something resembling woven material, especially something having an interlaced or latticelike appearance:

   He looked up at the web of branches of the old tree.

5. an intricate set or pattern of circumstances, facts, etc.:

   The thief was convicted by a web of evidence. Who can understand the web of life?

   Synonyms: snare, maze, tangle, tissue, network

6. something that snares or entangles; a trap:

   innocent travelers caught in the web of international terrorism.

7. webbing.
8. Zoology. a membrane that connects the digits of an animal, as the toes of aquatic birds.
9. Ornithology.
   1. the series of barbs on each side of the shaft of a feather.
   2. the series on both sides, collectively.
10. an integral or separate part of a beam, rail, truss, or the like, that forms a continuous, flat, narrow, rigid connection between two stronger, broader parallel parts, as the flanges of a structural shape, the head and foot of a rail, or the upper and lower chords of a truss.
11. Machinery. an arm of a crank, usually one of a pair, holding one end of a crankpin at its outer end.
12. Architecture. (in a vault) any surface framed by ribbing.
13. a large roll of paper, as for continuous feeding of a web press.
14. a network of interlinked stations, services, communications, etc., covering a region or country.
15. Informal. a network of radio or television broadcasting stations.
16. Sometimes Web. Digital Technology. World Wide Web (preceded by the, except when used before a noun).

verb (used with object)

, webbed, web·bing.

1. to cover with or as if with a web; envelop.
2. to ensnare or entrap.

verb (used without object)

, webbed, web·bing.

1. to make or form a web.

web

/ wɛb /

noun

1. any structure, construction, fabric, etc, formed by or as if by weaving or interweaving retiary
2. a mesh of fine tough scleroprotein threads built by a spider from a liquid secreted from its spinnerets and used to trap insects See also cobweb
3. a similar network of threads spun by certain insect larvae, such as the silkworm
4. a fabric, esp one in the process of being woven
5. a membrane connecting the toes of some aquatic birds or the digits of such aquatic mammals as the otter
6. the vane of a bird's feather
7. architect the surface of a ribbed vault that lies between the ribs
8. the central section of an I-beam or H-beam that joins the two flanges of the beam
9. any web-shaped part of a casting used for reinforcement
10. the radial portion of a crank that connects the crankpin to the crankshaft
11. a thin piece of superfluous material left attached to a forging; fin
12. 1. a continuous strip of paper as formed on a paper machine or fed from a reel into some printing presses
    2. ( as modifier )

       a web press

       web offset

13. the woven edge, without pile, of some carpets
14. 1. often capital short for World Wide Web
    2. ( as modifier )

       a web site

       web pages

15. any structure, construction, etc, that is intricately formed or complex

    a web of intrigue

verb

1. tr to cover with or as if with a web
2. tr to entangle or ensnare
3. intr to construct a web

web

/ wĕb /

1. A structure of fine, elastic, threadlike filaments characteristically spun by spiders to catch insect prey. The larvae of certain insects also weave webs that serve as protective shelters for feeding and may include leaves or other plant parts.
2. A membrane or fold of skin connecting the toes in certain animals, especially ones that swim, such as water birds and otters. The web improves the ability of the foot to push against water.
3. The World Wide Web.

Web

1. See Internet .

Derived Forms

• ˈwebless, adjective
• ˈwebˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• webless adjective
• weblike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of web¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English (noun), Old English; cognate with Dutch, Low German webbe, Old Norse vefr; akin to weave

Word History and Origins

Origin of web¹

Old English webb; related to Old Saxon, Old High German webbi, Old Norse vefr

Example Sentences

The U.S. government estimates that in 2021, 80% of cryptocurrency transactions across the whole dark web took place through Hydra, Russia’s then-reigning cyber-cartel.

From Salon

Much of Hydra’s interface would have looked familiar to anyone who’s used the dark web marketplace Silk Road or its myriad knock-off clones: you can glance through the forums and customer reviews to check which pills and powders will rock your socks off and which will leave you feeling worse than Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction.”

From Salon

While the Kremlin has tried blocking the service, results have been mixed at best — and nowadays TOR is less necessary, as there are plenty of mirrors on the clear web.

From Salon

The online nature of the world post-2020, coupled with the difficulty in raising sponsorship funds for a discovery-focused game event, has put most of IndieCade’s offerings, including its annual awards, on the web, but the party-focused celebration that is Night Games has endured.

From Los Angeles Times

Tom Francis plays Joe Gillis, the down-on-his-luck screenwriter, who gets caught in the web of Norma Desmond’s spider lair on Sunset Boulevard.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• net
• network
• screen