something formed by or as if by weaving or interweaving.
a thin, silken material spun by spiders and the larvae of some insects, as the webworms and tent caterpillars; cobweb.
Textiles.
a woven fabric, especially a whole piece of cloth in the course of being woven or after it comes from the loom.
the flat woven strip, without pile, often found at one or both ends of an Oriental rug.
something resembling woven material, especially something having an interlaced or latticelike appearance: He looked up at the web of branches of the old tree.
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?
something that snares or entangles; a trap: innocent travelers caught in the web of international terrorism.
Zoology. a membrane that connects the digits of an animal, as the toes of aquatic birds.
Ornithology.
the series of barbs on each side of the shaft of a feather.
the series on both sides, collectively.
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.
Machinery. an arm of a crank, usually one of a pair, holding one end of a crankpin at its outer end.
Architecture. (in a vault) any surface framed by ribbing.
a large roll of paper, as for continuous feeding of a web press.
a network of interlinked stations, services, communications, etc., covering a region or country.
Informal. a network of radio or television broadcasting stations.
(sometimes initial capital letter)Computers. World Wide Web. (usually preceded by the).
verb (used with object),webbed,web·bing.
to cover with or as if with a web; envelop.
to ensnare or entrap.
verb (used without object),webbed,web·bing.
to make or form a web.
Origin of web
before 900;Middle English (noun), Old English; cognate with Dutch,Low Germanwebbe,Old Norsevefr; akin to weave
Related formsweb·less, adjectiveweb·like, adjective
any structure, construction, fabric, etc, formed by or as if by weaving or interweavingRelated adjective: retiary
a mesh of fine tough scleroprotein threads built by a spider from a liquid secreted from its spinnerets and used to trap insectsSee also cobweb (def. 1)
a similar network of threads spun by certain insect larvae, such as the silkworm
a fabric, esp one in the process of being woven
a membrane connecting the toes of some aquatic birds or the digits of such aquatic mammals as the otter
the vane of a bird's feather
architectthe surface of a ribbed vault that lies between the ribs
the central section of an I-beam or H-beam that joins the two flanges of the beam
any web-shaped part of a casting used for reinforcement
the radial portion of a crank that connects the crankpin to the crankshaft
a thin piece of superfluous material left attached to a forging; fin
a continuous strip of paper as formed on a paper machine or fed from a reel into some printing presses
Old English webb "woven fabric," from Proto-Germanic *wabjam "fabric, web" (cf. Old Saxon webbi, Old Norse vefr, Dutch webbe, Old High German weppi, German gewebe "web"), from PIE *webh- "to weave" (see weave (v.)).
Meaning "spider's web" is first recorded early 13c. Applied to the membranes between the toes of ducks and other aquatic birds from 1570s. Internet sense is from 1992, shortened from World Wide Web (1990). Web browser, web page both also attested 1990.
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.
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.
