Cobweb
/ˈkɒb.wɛb/noun
A spider’s web, especially one that is old, dusty, or abandoned.
Did you know?In Middle English, cobweb likely meant “spider’s web,” with cob possibly referring to a spider or insect in older dialects, so the word preserves an ancient creature-name now mostly lost from everyday English.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
coppe / cobbe (dialectal forms)
“A spider or other insect-like creature in some regional usage”
Middle English
ME
cobbe webbe / cobwebbe
“Spider’s web”
16th Century
English
cobweb
“A web spun by a spider; later also a dusty, neglected web”
Modern English
English
cobweb
“A spider’s web, especially one old or dusty”
Explore more surprising origins