The compound adjective 'web-like' is a transparent modern English formation. Its first element, 'web', descends from the Old English webb, a common Germanic term for woven cloth, which itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European root webh-, meaning "to weave". This ancient root connects the word to a family of weaving-related terms. The suffix '-like', originating from the Old English noun līc (body) used to form adjectives, means "having the form or character of". Therefore, 'web-like' literally means "having the form or intricate, interconnected character of a web", a meaning that has remained consistent from its literal origins to its modern application in describing both physical meshes and abstract networks.

Structure: web (a woven structure) + like (having the characteristics of) - web: From Old English webb (woven fabric, spider's web). A noun root denoting a woven structure. - like: From Old English līc (body, form) via the suffix -līc (having the form or body of). An adjective-forming suffix meaning "similar to" or "characteristic of".