mesh
Americannoun
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meshes
plural
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any knit, woven, or knotted fabric of open texture.
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an interwoven or intertwined structure; network.
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any arrangement of interlocking metal links or wires with evenly spaced, uniform small openings between, as used in jewelry or sieves.
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one of the open spaces between the cords or ropes of a net.
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meshes,
-
the threads that bind such spaces.
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the means of catching or holding fast.
to be caught in the meshes of the law.
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Machinery. the engagement of gear teeth.
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Electricity. a set of branches that forms a closed path in a network so that removal of a branch results in an open path.
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Metallurgy. a designation of a given fineness of powder used in powder metallurgy in terms of the number of the finest screen through which almost all the particles will pass.
This powder is 200 mesh.
verb (used with object)
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meshes,
present (3rd person singular)
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meshed,
past participle, past
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meshing
present participle
-
to catch or entangle in or as if in a net; enmesh.
-
to form with meshes, as a net.
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Machinery. to engage, as gear teeth.
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to cause to match, coordinate, or interlock.
They tried to mesh their vacation plans.
verb (used without object)
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meshes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
meshed,
past participle, past
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meshing
present participle
-
to become enmeshed.
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Machinery. to become or be engaged, as the teeth of one gear with those of another.
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to match, coordinate, or interlock.
The two versions of the story don't mesh.
noun
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a network; net
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an open space between the strands of a network
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(often plural) the strands surrounding these spaces
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anything that ensnares, or holds like a net
the mesh of the secret police
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the engagement of teeth on interacting gearwheels
the gears are in mesh
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a measure of spacing of the strands of a mesh or grid, expressed as the distance between strands for coarse meshes or a number of strands per unit length for fine meshes
verb
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to entangle or become entangled
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(of gear teeth) to engage or cause to engage
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to coordinate (with)
to mesh with a policy
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to work or cause to work in harmony
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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meshsimple
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meshessimple
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have meshedperfect
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has meshedperfect
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am meshingprogressive
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are meshingprogressive
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is meshingprogressive
-
have been meshingperfect progressive
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has been meshingperfect progressive
Past
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meshedsimple
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had meshedperfect
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was meshingprogressive
-
were meshingprogressive
-
had been meshingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mesh
1375–1425; late Middle English mesch, apparently continuing Old English masc, max; akin to Old High German māsca, Middle Dutch maesche
Explanation
Use the word mesh for fabric made of loosely woven fibers. A butterfly net is made of mesh, and so is a window screen. Some mesh is made from string or fabric, like a fishing net or a mesh sports jersey, while other mesh is metal or plastic, like a tea strainer. In either case, it's woven loosely enough that there are small holes throughout its surface. Another meaning of mesh is "harmonize" or "work well together." In the fourteenth century, it was spelled mesche, and it meant "open space in a net," from the Old English word for net, max.
Vocabulary lists containing mesh
Bunnicula
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Ground Zero
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"Efrén Divided" by Ernesto Cisneros, Chapters 12–19
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The biggest change is at the Amalfi’s front end, where a mesh grille separates the car’s nose from its scimitar-shaped chin spoiler.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
Resembling fishing nets, the mesh lacks the sophistication of other military hardware.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
When Atrakchi and Meister hike with Taita, they carry a sturdy, mesh backpack in case Taita gets tired or nervous around dogs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Most importantly, on the field, the pair mesh well.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
It was a very nice-looking boy, about the same age as Abby, helping a man roll out some green mesh fencing.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
As she joins a world of privileged rock devotees, Caicedo carefully depicts the duality of this elite Latin American world that meshes local and imported culture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Feel really good about the talent base we have in place, not just on field but also how the group meshes together,” Friedman said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
The horrifying yet thought-provoking showcase, courtesy of directors Melissa Robledo and Robert Kenner, once again meshes science, data and emotions to illustrate how our industrialized food system has gotten worse nearly 15 years later.
From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2024
The thread of their on-again-off-again connection is never lost in the film’s pleasingly artisanal, jazz-scored futurescape, which meshes practical and digital effects under the sign of Douglas Adams as much as Adult Swim and anime.
From New York Times ● Feb. 8, 2024
When the water was all gone, there they were caught in the meshes and among the paddy, shoals of them leaping madly, wet and silver and good to look upon.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
They meshed together as far as cohesive force.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2025
If Elvis is being meshed with cricket, there is a decent chance Andrew Flintoff has something to do with it.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2024
Downs’ vocals were a phenomenal force meshed with traditional Mexican instruments.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 26, 2024
Steve Jordan, who was Watts’s personal pick to take over, meshed well with the group’s live energy, though.
From New York Times ● Oct. 24, 2023
“It’s built to keep arcanists locked up. All meshed stone. Wards on the doors and windows.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Our problem isn’t like the meshing of Disney and Cap Cities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Older workers could turn out to be more valuable than younger ones, he said, by meshing their experience with the tools of artificial intelligence.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
The company, however, is already thinking of that with laser meshing technology and wireless spectrum acquisitions.
From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026
They see him meshing with LeBron James as if they’d played together for years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2025
After removing each strip, Dr. Grossman passed it through a meshing device that perforated it with tiny holes so that it could be stretched to cover a larger area.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
