cobweb
UK[ˈkɒbweb]US[ˈkɑːbweb]
n
a fine network of sticky threads made by a spider to catch insects
n
a single thread of this network
n
something that is complicated, confusing, or insubstantial
Morpheme Breakdown
cob
web
cob
spider
web
woven fabric
Etymology
the word 'cobweb' originates from the middle english 'coppeweb', a compound of the now-obsolete word 'coppe' (meaning spider) and 'web'. 'Coppe' itself derives from old english 'ātorcoppe', where 'ātor' meant 'poison' and 'coppe' is thought to mean 'head', referring to the spider's venomous nature. 'Web' has germanic origins related to the act of weaving. thus, a cobweb is literally a 'spider-web', a woven fabric created by a spider. over time, 'coppe' fell out of use, leaving 'cob' as a fossilized element, and the word's meaning expanded metaphorically to describe anything tangled, old, or delicately insubstantial.
Analysis
Structure: cob (spider) + web (woven fabric)
cob (middle english, from old english 'coppe', meaning 'spider'); web (old english 'webb', meaning 'woven fabric', from a germanic root meaning 'to weave')
Examples
the old attic was full of dust and cobwebs.
a single cobweb stretched across the corner of the window.
he tried to brush away the cobwebs of sleep from his mind.