NET

n. & v. --n. 1 an open-meshed fabric of cord, rope, fibre, etc. 2 a piece of net used esp. to restrain, contain, or delimit, or to catch fish or other animals. 3 a structure with net to enclose an area of ground, esp. in sport. 4 a a structure with net used in various games, esp. forming the goal in football, netball, etc., and dividing the court in tennis etc. b (often in pl.) a practice-ground in cricket, surrounded by nets. 5 a system or procedure for catching or entrapping a person or persons. 6 = NETWORK. --v. (netted, netting) 1 tr. a cover, confine, or catch with a net. b procure as with a net. 2 tr. hit (a ball) into the net, esp. of a goal. 3 intr. make netting. 4 tr. make (a purse, hammock, etc.) by knotting etc. threads together to form a net. 5 tr. fish with nets, or set nets, in (a river). 6 tr. (usu. as netted adj.) mark with a netlike pattern; reticulate. øønetful n. (pl. -fuls). [OE net, nett]