net

1.
n. & v.
—n.
1 an open-meshed fabric of cord, rope, fibre, etc.
2 a piece of net used esp. to restrain, contain, or delimit, or to catch fish or other animals.
3 a structure with net to enclose an area of ground, esp. in sport.
4 a a structure with net used in various games, esp. forming the goal in football, netball, etc., and dividing the court in tennis etc. b (often in pl.) a practice-ground in cricket, surrounded by nets.
5 a system or procedure for catching or entrapping a person or persons.
6 = NETWORK.
—v. (netted, netting)
1 tr. a cover, confine, or catch with a net. b procure as with a net.
2 tr. hit (a ball) into the net, esp. of a goal.
3 intr. make netting.
4 tr. make (a purse, hammock, etc.) by knotting etc. threads together to form a net.
5 tr. fish with nets, or set nets, in (a river).
6 tr. (usu. as netted adj.) mark with a netlike pattern; reticulate.
Derivatives:
netful n. (pl. -fuls).
Etymology: OE net, nett
2.
adj. & v. (also nett)
—adj.
1 (esp. of money) remaining after all necessary deductions, or free from deductions.
2 (of a price) to be paid in full; not reducible.
3 (of a weight) excluding that of the packaging or container etc.
4 (of an effect, result, etc.) ultimate, effective.
—v.tr. (netted, netting) gain or yield (a sum) as net profit.
Phrases and idioms:
net profit the effective profit; the actual gain after working expenses have been paid. net ton see TON(1).
Etymology: F net NEAT(1)