Cobwebbers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Creatures or devices that create or resemble the fine, tangled threads spun by spiders used to catch prey or for shelter ; individuals or things that figuratively trap or ensnare with complexity or confusion ; objects covered densely with old spider silk or a network of fine, dusty threads resembling such a web
2. Animals or artificial constructs producing intricate silk or filament structures for capturing insects or protection ; people or tools metaphorically implicated in complicating situations by entangling elements ; surfaces or items heavily coated with delicate spider-thread-like filaments, indicating neglect or age
3. Organisms or apparatuses that produce fine, sticky filaments forming a mesh for insect capture or habitat ; persons or mechanisms figuratively involved in ensnaring or complicating contexts ; things enveloped in layers of old, fine spider silk threads appearing as dusty, skein-like webs

Etymology: The plural of "cobwebber," a maker of cobwebs, which in turn is built from "cobweb" and the agent suffix "-er," meaning one who does something. The sense "silk web makers" is the plain meaning of such a compound: a spider's web is a web of silk, so a cobwebber is simply a spider, or anything else that spins webs. The first part, "cob," is the older and more interesting piece. In Old English, the spider was called "attercoppe," from "atter," meaning poison, and "coppe," meaning spider. The "cob" in "cobweb" seems to descend from that "coppe," which is why the word for a spider's web carries a hidden reference to the creature itself. Over time "coppe" faded from ordinary speech, leaving "cobweb" as its surviving trace.

Synonyms: spiders