webbing

American  

[web-ing] / ˈwɛb ɪŋ /

noun

1. a strong, woven material of hemp, cotton, or jute, in bands of various widths, used for belts, carrying straps, harness, etc.

2. such woven bands nailed on furniture under springs or upholstery, for support.

3. Zoology. the membrane forming a web or webs.

4. something resembling this, as the leather thongs or piece connecting the sections for the thumb and forefinger in a baseball glove or mitt.

5. any material or part formed from interlaced threads, thongs, branches, etc., or having a latticelike appearance, as the face of a tennis racket.

6. Chiefly Eastern New England Older Use. webbings, the reins or lines for controlling a horse or team of horses.

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webbing British  

/ ˈwɛbɪŋ /

noun

1. a strong fabric of hemp, cotton, jute, etc, woven in strips and used under springs in upholstery or for straps, etc

2. the skin that unites the digits of a webbed foot

3. anything that forms a web

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Etymology

Origin of webbing

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; 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

It shows a complex webbing of crenelated tubes connected to a mysterious mustard-colored box.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2024

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

When baby spiders are born, they produce silk webbing that is light enough to be picked up by the wind, allowing them to float away and land elsewhere, colonizing new habitats.

From Washington Times • Oct. 5, 2023

Tinkering in the fishing offseason with some webbing and a ball cap, Barr found his product: the strapcap, a piece of headwear that wouldn’t blow off in 60 mph winds.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 19, 2023

“Not great,” Autumn replies, before taking her sword from Woo and slicing down another languid strand of webbing.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

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