cobweb

cobweb — noun

1. a thin, sticky network of threads that a spider creates from its body to catch s

1.nounB1
Definition

a thin, sticky network of threads that a spider creates from its body to catch small insects for food; the word is especially used for webs that have gathered dust over time in unused spaces

Example

An old cobweb thick with dust hung in the attic window corner, its grey threads frayed.

collocation: thick with dust; describes old/dusty qualities

Beatriz used a long broom to sweep away the cobweb from the ceiling.

collocation: sweep away a cobweb

Common collocations
  • old cobweb
  • dusty cobweb
  • remove a cobweb
  • sweep away cobwebs
  • cobweb hangs in the corner
  • cobweb stretches across
  • covered in cobwebs
  • full of cobwebs
Synonyms
  • spiderweb

    a general term for any spider's web; cobweb specifically implies an old, dusty one

  • web

    the shorter, everyday term; used broadly for any silk structure a spider makes

  • gossamer

    refers to a very fine, delicate spiderweb, often seen floating in the air or on grass; literary or poetic register

Grammar Patterns

cobweb + verb (hangs / stretches)

verb + cobweb (remove / sweep / see)

Usage Note

Distinguish from spiderweb: a cobweb usually refers to an old, dusty web found in unused spaces, whereas spiderweb can refer to any web, especially a fresh one.

Common Mistakes

There is a cobweb on the bush that the spider made this morning.
There is a spiderweb on the bush that the spider made this morning.
Cobweb is used for old, dusty webs, not freshly made ones.
Idioms

blow the cobwebs away

idiom

to go outside or do something active in order to feel fresh and clear-minded again after spending time indoors or feeling tired

After sorting dusty books all morning, Priya stepped onto the stone balcony to blow the cobwebs away with fresh mountain air.

Noa went for a morning run to blow the cobwebs away before work.

blow/clear the cobwebs away

idiom

To do something that makes you feel mentally fresh and energetic again.

Maya went for a run to blow the cobwebs away after studying.

A short walk in the park cleared the cobwebs away for Brian.

Word family

  • cobwebbed
    adjectiveC1
  • cobwebby
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Cobweb, spiderweb, web, and gossamer all refer to the silk structures spiders make, but they differ in age, tone, and specificity. Cobweb is the most specific term: it strongly implies an old, dusty spiderweb found in neglected corners or abandoned buildings. Spiderweb is the neutral everyday word for any spider's web, fresh or old. Web is the shortest and most general; it can refer to a spiderweb, but also to interconnected networks (a web of lies, the World Wide Web). Gossamer describes an extremely fine, delicate web that is almost transparent, and it carries a literary or poetic tone — you might find it in nature writing or fantasy novels. In casual conversation, a fresh web on a garden plant is a spiderweb or web, while the dusty strands in a basement are cobwebs.

spiderwebweb ↗gossamer

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

  • in the corner
  • across the doorway
  • from the ceiling
  • on the window

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Cobweb comes from Middle English coppeweb, a combination of coppe (a spider, itself from Old English ātorcoppe, meaning 'poison-head') and web ('woven fabric'). Over time the word was shortened to cobweb as the original meaning of cob for 'spider' faded from everyday English.