net1

noun

• 1a piece of open-meshed material made of twine, cord, or something similar, used typically for catching fish or other animals: fishermen mending their nets
• a piece of net supported by a frame at the end of a handle, used for catching fish or insects.
• the total amount of fish caught in one session or expedition:good nets of roach, chub, and perch

• 2a structure consisting of a net supported on a frame, forming the goal in games such as football:Wales did find the net in the 32nd minute
• a net supported on a cord between two posts to divide the playing area in tennis, badminton, volleyball, etc..
• Cricket a strip of ground enclosed by a net, for batting and bowling practice: [as modifier]:a full net practice
• a safety net: he felt like a tightrope-walker without a net

• 3 [mass noun] a fine fabric with a very open weave: [as modifier]:net curtains
• (nets) British informal net curtains.

• 4a means of catching someone; a trap:the search was delayed, allowing the murderers to escape the net
• a means of selecting or securing someone or something:he spread his net far and wide in his long search for success

• 5a communications or broadcasting network, especially of maritime radio:the radio net was brought to life with a mayday
• a network of interconnected computers:a computer news net
• (the Net) the Internet.

verb (nets, netting, netted)

• 1catch (a fish or other animal) with a net: damage caused when netting the fish rabbits can be netted all the year round
• fish with nets in (a river): they were netting the River Naver
• acquire or obtain in a skilful way:customs officials have netted large caches of drugs

• 2(in sport) hit (a ball) into the net; score (a goal):Butler netted 14 goals

• 3cover with a net:we fenced off a rabbit-proof area for vegetables and netted the top