web

[web] /wɛb/
noun
1.
something formed by or as if by weaving or interweaving.
2.
a thin, silken material spun by spiders and the larvae of some insects, as the webworms and tent caterpillars; cobweb.
3.
Textiles.
  1. a woven fabric, especially a whole piece of cloth in the course of being woven or after it comes from the loom.
  2. the flat woven strip, without pile, often found at one or both ends of an Oriental rug.
4.
something resembling woven material, especially something having an interlaced or latticelike appearance:
He looked up at the web of branches of the old tree.
5.
an intricate set or pattern of circumstances, facts, etc.:
The thief was convicted by a web of evidence. Who can understand the web of life?
6.
something that snares or entangles; a trap:
innocent travelers caught in the web of international terrorism.
7.
webbing.
8.
Zoology. a membrane that connects the digits of an animal, as the toes of aquatic birds.
9.
Ornithology.
  1. the series of barbs on each side of the shaft of a feather.
  2. the series on both sides, collectively.
10.
an integral or separate part of a beam, rail, truss, or the like, that forms a continuous, flat, narrow, rigid connection between two stronger, broader parallel parts, as the flanges of a structural shape, the head and foot of a rail, or the upper and lower chords of a truss.
11.
Machinery. an arm of a crank, usually one of a pair, holding one end of a crankpin at its outer end.
12.
Architecture. (in a vault) any surface framed by ribbing.
13.
a large roll of paper, as for continuous feeding of a web press.
14.
a network of interlinked stations, services, communications, etc., covering a region or country.
15.
Informal. a network of radio or television broadcasting stations.
16.
(usually initial capital letter) Computers. World Wide Web.
verb (used with object), webbed, webbing.
17.
to cover with or as if with a web; envelop.
18.
to ensnare or entrap.
verb (used without object), webbed, webbing.
19.
to make or form a web.
Origin
before 900; Middle English (noun), Old English; cognate with Dutch, Low German webbe, Old Norse vefr; akin to weave
Related forms
webless, adjective
weblike, adjective
Synonyms
5. network, tissue, tangle, maze.
Examples from the web for web
  • If you're reading this online, chances are good that you are using a web browser to do so.
  • He is acclaimed for his advocacy of web standards, books and a sometimes prickly manner.
  • The crosses, zigzags, and spirals woven by some spiders have long puzzled web watchers.
  • Word is that they're writing a book based on their web site.
  • MS has finally gotten a web based version of its office software available.
  • With its tiny screen, surfing the web with a mobile phone has been maddening.
  • Spiderlings disperse soon after they leave their eggs, but the web remains.
  • All take power readings and keep a running tally you can view through a web interface or mobile app.
  • Some governments are eager to stress their commitment to open web access for all, no matter what.
  • Wikis, blogs and other collaborative web technologies could usher in a new era of science.
British Dictionary definitions for web

web

/wɛb/
noun
1.
any structure, construction, fabric, etc, formed by or as if by weaving or interweaving related adjective retiary
2.
a mesh of fine tough scleroprotein threads built by a spider from a liquid secreted from its spinnerets and used to trap insects See also cobweb (sense 1)
3.
a similar network of threads spun by certain insect larvae, such as the silkworm
4.
a fabric, esp one in the process of being woven
5.
a membrane connecting the toes of some aquatic birds or the digits of such aquatic mammals as the otter
6.
the vane of a bird's feather
7.
(architect) the surface of a ribbed vault that lies between the ribs
8.
the central section of an I-beam or H-beam that joins the two flanges of the beam
9.
any web-shaped part of a casting used for reinforcement
10.
the radial portion of a crank that connects the crankpin to the crankshaft
11.
a thin piece of superfluous material left attached to a forging; fin
12.
  1. a continuous strip of paper as formed on a paper machine or fed from a reel into some printing presses
  2. (as modifier): web offset, a web press
13.
the woven edge, without pile, of some carpets
14.
  1. (often capital) the web, short for World Wide Web
  2. (as modifier): a web site, web pages
15.
any structure, construction, etc, that is intricately formed or complex: a web of intrigue
verb webs, webbing, webbed
16.
(transitive) to cover with or as if with a web
17.
(transitive) to entangle or ensnare
18.
(intransitive) to construct a web
Derived Forms
webless, adjective
weblike, adjective
Word Origin
Old English webb; related to Old Saxon, Old High German webbi, Old Norse vefr
Word Origin and History for web
n.

Old English webb "woven fabric," from Proto-Germanic *wabjam "fabric, web" (cf. Old Saxon webbi, Old Norse vefr, Dutch webbe, Old High German weppi, German gewebe "web"), from PIE *webh- "to weave" (see weave (v.)).

Meaning "spider's web" is first recorded early 13c. Applied to the membranes between the toes of ducks and other aquatic birds from 1570s. Internet sense is from 1992, shortened from World Wide Web (1990). Web browser, web page both also attested 1990.

web in Medicine

web (wěb)
n.

  1. A membrane or fold of skin connecting the toes, as of certain mammals.

  2. A structure of delicate, threadlike filaments characteristically spun by spiders.

web in Science
web
  (wěb)   

  1. A structure of fine, elastic, threadlike filaments characteristically spun by spiders to catch insect prey. The larvae of certain insects also weave webs that serve as protective shelters for feeding and may include leaves or other plant parts.

  2. A membrane or fold of skin connecting the toes in certain animals, especially ones that swim, such as water birds and otters. The web improves the ability of the foot to push against water.

  3. also Web The World Wide Web.


web in Culture

Web definition


See Internet.

web in Technology
language
Donald Knuth's self-documenting literate programming, with algorithms and documentation intermixed in one file. They can be separated using Weave and Tangle. Versions exist for Pascal and C. Spiderweb can be used to create versions for other languages. FunnelWeb is a production-quality literate-programming tool.
(ftp://princeton.edu/), (ftp://labrea.stanford.edu/).
["Literate Programming", D.E. Knuth, Computer J 27(2):97-111, May 1984].
(1996-05-10)

World-Wide Web
"The Web" is the World-Wide Web. "A web" is part of it on some specific website.
(1996-05-10)