Netlike

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Resembling or having the structure of a mesh with interconnected strands forming open spaces
2. Having a form or appearance that is similar to a network made of interwoven threads or fibers that create gaps throughout
3. Characterized by structures that mimic a web-like arrangement, featuring interconnected elements with voids throughout

Etymology: The word is built from two plain English parts. "Net" comes from Old English "nett", which goes back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning a woven or knotted snare for catching fish and game. The second part, "-like", descends from a Proto-Germanic word meaning "body" or "form" that came to mean "having the appearance or form of" when attached to a noun or adjective. Joined together, the pieces describe something that has the form of a net. Put simply, "netlike" needs no borrowing or special coinage: it is an ordinary compound of a root word and a suffix that English has used for centuries. The suffix "-like" appears in countless formations, from "childlike" to "lifelike", and "netlike" follows the same pattern.

Synonyms: mesh-like, webbed