net

noun

1. A mesh of string, cord or rope.

   “a hairnet; a mosquito net; a tennis net”

2. A device made from such mesh, used for catching fish, butterflies, etc.

   “Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider'ble money getting 'em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers, right in the middle of the squiteague season.”

3. A device made from such mesh, generally used for trapping something.

   “The nets have to be checked to make sure that they are not tangled up and therefore useless, and the carcasses of the dead sharks are removed.”

4. Anything that has the appearance of such a device.

   “Petri net”

5. (broadly)A trap.

   “A man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet.”

   “caught in the prosecuting attorney's net”

6. Any set of polygons joined edge to edge that, when folded along the edges between adjoining polygons so that the outer edges touch, form a given polyhedron.
7. A system that interconnects a number of users, locations etc. allowing transport or communication between them.
8. A system that interconnects a number of users, locations etc. allowing transport or communication between them.
9. A framework backed by a mesh, serving as the goal in hockey, soccer, lacrosse, etc.

   “Wigan had N'Zogbia sent off late on but Squillaci headed into his own net to give the home side a deserved point.”

   “The striker headed the ball into the net to make it 1-0.”

10. A mesh stretched to divide the court in tennis, badminton, volleyball, etc.
11. (broadly)The area of the court close to the net (mesh stretched to divide the court).
12. The amount remaining after expenses or other kinds of deductions are subtracted.

    “Our net on that transaction was only fourteen dollars.”

    “The net on that container was only fourteen tons.”

13. (abbreviation, acronym, alt-of)Acronym of neutrophil extracellular trap.

verb

1. (transitive)To catch by means of a net.
2. (figuratively, transitive)To catch in a trap, or by stratagem.

   “And now I am here, netted and in the toils.”

3. To enclose or cover with a net.

   “to net a tree”

   “Old Yew, which graspest at the stones ⁠That name the under-lying dead, ⁠Thy fibres net the dreamless head, Thy roots are wrapt about the bones.”

4. (transitive)To score (a goal).

   “Evans netted the winner in the 80th minute.”

   “Romeu then scored a penalty, Torres netted a header and Moses added the sixth from substitute Oscar's cross.”

5. To hit the ball into the net.

   “Azarenka whipped a sensational forehand around the net post to break for 2-0 in the second set, followed it up with a love hold and moved to 5-1 when Paszek netted a forehand.”

6. To form a netting or network; to knit.

   “I was shown into a pretty but rather close drawing-room, and there sat Agnes, netting a purse.”

7. (transitive)To receive as profit.

   “The company nets $30 on every sale.”

8. (transitive)To yield as profit for.

   “The scam netted the criminals $30,000.”

9. To fully hedge a position.

   “Every party is netting their position with a counter-party.”

10. (dialectal)To clean, wash, rinse.

adj

1. (not-comparable)Free from extraneous substances; pure; unadulterated; neat.

   “net wine”

2. (not-comparable)Remaining after expenses or deductions.

   “Near-synonym: take-home”

   “net profit; net weight”

3. (not-comparable)Final; end.

   “net result; net conclusion”

4. (not-comparable, obsolete)Good, desirable; clean, decent, clear.

   “Her brest all naked, as net iuory, / Without adorne of gold or siluer bright […]”

adv

1. (not-comparable)After expenses or deductions.

   “You'll have $5000 net.”

intj

1. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative spelling of nyet.

   “Or again, the Russian Government may now take a poor view of publicizing rumours of Snowmen being sighted within their own frontiers. They may prefer to say Net to the prospect of dealing with inquiring foreigners who might ask for permission to go rampaging for footprints and sightings all over their mountains.”

   “Communist propaganda has created for Russia a reputation of a “peace-loving” power which it values. It cannot, therefore, afford to say net to any and every Western proposal.”

   “Then as now this impersonal vastness was the public face of Russia. Its voice, if it had one, intoned an unmistakable Net. And all the canals and looking-glass mansions, in their courtly but firm way, were saying Net too.”

   “He asked me what nationality I was, and I replied, “American.” / “Net, net,” he cried. “What nationality?””

   “Sal. Russia says ‘net’ to border deal / / The Baltic Times. – 1997.”

name

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal)Clipping of Internet.

   “The Web is just part of the Net.”

2. A nickname for someone named Jeannette (or any of its alternative forms).

   “Grandmother used my full middle name when she was talking about me. “Net's, short for Jeannette, baby,” Grandmother proudly answered each time. They all knew who Net was. “Net's gone back to Cincinnati,” she added.”

   “But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for you, Net. 'Cuz I'm not like my parents. I want what's best for you. Always. You know that, right?” “Yeah.” Mom pauses the way she does before she's about to say something she thinks is a part[…]”

prep

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of no earlier than or not earlier than.