web
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /wˈɛb/
US
- /ˈwɛb/
Description
- spider silk
- network
- the internet
- complex system
- mesh
The word "web" can bring up many images. At first, it meant the sticky silk structure made by spiders, a light but strong network used to catch prey. Today, many people first think of the web: the World Wide Web, the huge system of pages and information that people use through the internet.
Think of a spider's web joining different points with thin strands. The digital web does something similar by linking websites and resources around the world. You might "surf the web" to find information, or get "caught in a web" of lies or confusion. It can also mean any complicated network, such as a "web of deceit" or a "web of relationships."
The word "web" has grown from its natural meaning into an important part of modern life. At first, it referred to the silk structure made by spiders, used to trap insects. If you look at one closely, you can see the basic idea behind the word: many fine lines joined together into one connected structure.
Over time, "web" also came to describe any complicated system of connections. A "web of intrigue" suggests a plot with many hidden links. In science, a "food web" shows how living things depend on one another for survival.
However, the most common modern meaning is the World Wide Web, often shortened to just "the web." This is the system of connected pages and resources that people reach through the internet. It lets us share information, communicate, shop, learn, and use online services. You might "browse the web" for research, "build a website" for your work, or become "entangled in the web" of social media.
So, whether you are looking at a spider's creation, untangling a mystery, or exploring the digital world, "web" usually suggests a connected network, something made of many links joined together in a delicate or complicated way.
Examples
- 1
Spider silk
A spider had spun a web between the fence posts.
- 2
Online information
I found the train schedule on the web.
- 3
Browsing websites
She was surfing the web instead of studying.
Phrase
surf the web
spend time looking at different websites
- 4
Web page
We need a simple web page for the new café.
- 5
Street network
The old part of the city is a web of narrow streets.
Pattern
a web of + connected things
a complicated network
- 6
Hidden deception
The investigation uncovered a web of lies and hidden payments.
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- webnounverb
Forms
- webspluralnounverb
- webbing-ing formverbnoun
- webbedpast tenseverbnoun