Net

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /nɛt/

Definitions

1. A fabric made of interwoven threads or fibers forming a mesh used to catch, trap, or contain things ; the amount remaining after deductions such as costs or taxes ; to capture or secure something by entanglement
2. A structure of cords linked together in a pattern to trap fish, insects, or other objects ; the final quantity left after subtracting expenses or allowances ; an act of gaining or trapping something using such a mesh structure
3. A material made by crossing strands to form a grid that holds or confines objects ; the balance obtained after all subtractions are made ; the process or result of catching or winning something through ensnaring means

Etymology: The word has a surprisingly ancient family. Its closest relatives are spread across the Germanic languages: German "Netz", Dutch "net", Swedish "nät", Icelandic "net", and Yiddish "nets" all mean the same thing, and the Gothic "nati" recorded in the 4th-century Bible translation of Ulfilas shows the root was already in use among the early Germanic peoples. Reconstructing the common ancestor points to a Proto-Germanic form, which is why this is a native English word rather than a borrowing from Latin or French. The sense "mesh used for catching" is the original and most basic one, and it has stayed remarkably stable across more than a thousand years of recorded Germanic speech. The verb "to net", meaning to catch something in a net or to cover with netting, grew naturally from the noun, the same way "to hook" or "to trap" developed from their nouns.

Synonyms: mesh, network, web

Antonyms: disconnect, scatter