cobweb
/ˈkɒbwɛb/
noun
Origin
Old English
ātorcoppe + webb — poisonous-head (spider) + web
Overview
Meaning Now
- A spider's web, especially one that is old and covered in dust.
- Something resembling a spider's web, especially in its delicate or intricate structure.
Literal older meaning
spider-web
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
coppeweb
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term 'cob' is an obsolete variant of 'coppe', derived from the Old English 'ātorcoppe'. The loss of the 'ātor-' prefix (poison) reflects a general simplification of the compound term in the transition from Old to Middle English.
Evolution
- Old English
ātorcoppe
“spider”
Literally 'poison head', referring to the perceived venomous nature of the creature.
- Middle English
coppewebbe
“spider's web”
Compound of 'coppe' (spider) and 'webbe'.
- Early Modern English
cobweb
“spider's web”
Consonant shift from -pp- to -b- common in this regional variant.
Connections
Word parts
cob
root
spider (from archaic 'coppe')
web
root
a web
Related across languages
Middle Dutch
kopwebbe
spider web
Low German
Kobbenwebbe
spider web
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Related to cobweb
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.