I. ˈweb noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German weppi web, Old Norse vefr, Old English wefan to weave — more at weave
1.
a. : a fabric as it is being woven on a loom or as it appears when removed from a loom
a web of lace
b. archaic : a garment made of such a fabric
c. : the filmlike sheet of fibers delivered by various textile machines especially on a card
webs of fibers are produced in a wide sheet
carded webs of nylon
d. : warp
web and woof
2.
a. : cobweb 1
the spider spins its web
the webs of the silkworm
the crossed webs are attached to the frame of the surveyor's telescope
b. : snare , entanglement
enmeshed in the web of conflict and fear — William Peden
the most intricate web of espionage and intrigue that any modern state has endured — R.H.Jackson
3. : a tissue or membrane of an animal or plant: as
a. : the membrane uniting fingers or toes either at their bases (as in man) or for a greater part of their length (as in many water birds and amphibians) — see goose illustration
b. : the tissue between the larger veins of a leaf especially of tobacco
4. : webbing 2
5. archaic : a thin film growing over or covering the eye
6.
a. : a thin metal sheet, plate, or strip
b. : the vertical plate or portion connecting the upper and lower flanges or parts of a girder or rail — see t rail illustration
c. : the arm of a crank
7.
a. : an intricate structure resembling or suggestive of something woven : maze
the web of little wrinkles that radiated from the corners of her eyes — Hamilton Basso
silvery birches spread a fragile web of loveliness over the highway — American Guide Series: Maine
a web of railroad tracks — American Guide Series: Florida
b. : a complex arrangement, pattern, or development
the stuff of our lives is … a tangled web — Havelock Ellis
this intricate web of social relations — Ralph Pieris
the economy … has become a closely woven web — Roger Burlingame
the close web of history — Herbert Agar
8. : the series of barbs implanted on each side of the shaft of a feather : vane , vexillum
9.
a. : a continuous sheet of paper manufactured or undergoing the process of manufacture on a paper machine
b. : a reel of such paper for use in a rotary printing press
10. : a thin portion of material or a partition molded into hollow tile or other earthenware product to strengthen it
11. : the portion of a ribbed vault between the ribs
12. : snowshoe
would … get out their webs and snowshoe down — Helen Rich
13. : a radio or television network
news analysts are … covered by the web ' s contract restricting private comment — Saul Carson
the web was made up of member stations of the … Intercollegiate Broadcasting System — Newsweek
II. verb
( webbed ; webbed ; webbing ; webs )
Etymology: in sense 1, from Middle English webben, from Old English webbian to weave, devise; akin to Old Norse vefja to wind, wrap, Middle High German weben to weave, Old English web (I) ; in other senses, from web (I)
transitive verb
1. archaic : to weave (a cloth or fabric) with a loom
2.
a. : to weave a web upon
spiders web the grasses
b. : to cover with a web or network
roads webbed the forest land, connecting outlying farms … with the towns — American Guide Series: Tennessee
3. : entangle , ensnare
the spider webs a fly
intransitive verb
: to construct or form a web
the electrical cables which webbed everywhere — Fred Bradna & Hartzell Spence
it was so cold … the hairs in his nostrils webbed into instant ice — Wallace Stegner
III. noun
Usage: usually capitalized
: world wide web herein