What does cobweb mean?
A cobweb is the delicate netting of silk threads spun by a spider, though in ordinary usage the word most often refers to an abandoned web that has gathered dust in an unused corner of a room. The word carries a strong connotation of neglect: finding cobwebs suggests a space has been left uncleaned or uninhabited for some time. Beyond its literal sense, cobweb appears figuratively to describe things that are gossamer-thin, fragile, or intricately entangled — a 'cobweb of excuses', for instance, implies a flimsy tangle of reasoning. The verb-derived adjective forms cobwebby and cobwebbed describe places thick with such webs, while the idiomatic expression 'to blow away the cobwebs' means to clear one's head or refresh oneself with brisk activity or fresh air. The term's curious first syllable traces back to Middle English 'coppe', an old word for spider itself.
A fine net of silk threads spun by a spider, especially one that has been deserted and become coated with dust.
"The cellar door had not been opened in years, and cobwebs hung like grey curtains across the stairway."
Often used loosely for any dusty, stringy accumulation in neglected buildings, whether or not a spider is still present.
Figuratively, something delicate, insubstantial, or intricately tangled, such as a flimsy argument or a gossamer fabric.
"The treaty was woven from the cobwebs of diplomatic ambiguity and collapsed within months."
Usually carries a slightly pejorative tone, implying weakness or evasiveness.
The plural is regular. It commonly appears in phrases describing neglected spaces ('the house was full of cobwebs') and in the idiom 'blow away the cobwebs'.
"After weeks indoors, a long walk on the moor blew away the cobwebs."
"Cob" isn't short for anything mysterious — it comes from the Middle English word for a spider, so a cobweb is literally a 'spider-web' twice over.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cobweb
The word cobweb derives from Middle English, where 'coppe' meant spider — a shortened form of the Old English 'ātorcoppe', literally 'poison-head', an early name for the spider. The compound 'coppewebbe' thus meant quite literally 'spider-web'. A rare surviving cognate is 'attercop', an archaic dialect word for a spider that preserves the same Old English root.
Related word forms
How cobweb is actually used
In everyday use, cobweb often carries a connotation of neglect or disuse, since webs left undisturbed gather dust. In figurative use it suggests something flimsy, intricate, or easily torn apart. The phrase 'to blow away the cobwebs' means to refresh oneself after mental dullness or stale air.
Easily confused with cobweb
A spiderweb is any spider's silk structure, while a cobweb typically refers to an abandoned, dusty web found in a building.