webbing
Americannoun
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a strong, woven material of hemp, cotton, or jute, in bands of various widths, used for belts, carrying straps, harness, etc.
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such woven bands nailed on furniture under springs or upholstery, for support.
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something resembling this, as the leather thongs or piece connecting the sections for the thumb and forefinger in a baseball glove or mitt.
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any material or part formed from interlaced threads, thongs, branches, etc., or having a latticelike appearance, as the face of a tennis racket.
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Chiefly Eastern New England Older Use. webbings, the reins or lines for controlling a horse or team of horses.
noun
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a strong fabric of hemp, cotton, jute, etc, woven in strips and used under springs in upholstery or for straps, etc
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the skin that unites the digits of a webbed foot
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anything that forms a web
Etymology
Origin of webbing
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at web, -ing 1
Explanation
Webbing can refer to the stretchy skin between a frog's fingers that helps it glide through water, or the tough fabric in your backpack straps that keeps everything secure. In nature, webbing is the thin, elastic skin between the toes of animals like ducks and frogs, giving them the ability to swim like pros. When it comes to man-made materials, webbing is a strong, woven material used by humans in everything from seatbelts to camping gear. This man-made webbing provides the strength and flexibility needed to keep things safely in place, just like nature's version does for swimming animals.
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.
The local authority advised people not to be concerned about the "harmless" white webbing seen in trees in Belle Isle Park, Exeter, caused by an infestation of caterpillars.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Many spiders use their webbing to create balloons or parachutes that allow them to float away — sometimes traveling many miles.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2023
The most likely sources of the spooky-looking webbing are baby spiders who use updraft winds to disperse themselves after hatching, according to scientists.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2023
Residents of the San Francisco area saw a curious sight in the sky Wednesday: strands of white webbing floating down to the ground, carrying baby spiders inside them.
From Washington Times • Oct. 5, 2023
She draws something in her palm and unleashes a glowing green strand of webbing that I grab hold of.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
