English Explanatory Dictionary

cobweb

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A spiderweb, or the remains of one, especially an asymmetrical one that is woven with an irregular pattern of threads.
  2. One of its filaments; gossamer.
  3. Something thin and unsubstantial, or flimsy and worthless; valueless remainder.
  4. An intricate plot to catch the unwary.
  5. A web page that either has not been updated for a long time, or that is rarely visited.
  6. The European spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata.
  7. fuzzy inexact memories.

Pronunciation

/ˈkɒbwɛb/ en-us-cobweb.ogg

Word forms

cobweb cobwebs copweb

Etymology

From Middle English copweb, coppeweb. Compare Middle Dutch kopwebbe, German Low German Kobbenwebbe (Westphalian). By surface analysis, cob (“spider”, obsolete) + web.

Derived words

cobwebbed cobwebbery cobwebbing cobweb brush cobwebby cobweb chart cobweblike cobweb model cobweb site cobweb spider cobweb theory dwarf cobweb weaver spider
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