net

English Online Dictionary. What means net‎? What does net mean?

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: nĕt, IPA^(key): /nɛt/
• Rhymes: -ɛt

Etymology 1

From Middle English net, from Old English net, nett, from Proto-West Germanic *nati, from Proto-Germanic *natją, from Proto-Indo-European *ned- (“to turn, twist, knot”).

Cognate with West Frisian net, Low German Nett, Dutch net, German Netz, Danish net, Swedish nät.

Noun

net (plural nets)

1. A mesh of string, cord or rope.

2. A device made from such mesh, used for catching fish, butterflies, etc.
3. A device made from such mesh, generally used for trapping something.
4. Anything that has the appearance of such a device.

5. (by extension) A trap.

6. (geometry) 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.
   1. (electronics) A conductor that interconnects two or more component terminals.
8. (sports) A framework backed by a mesh, serving as the goal in hockey, soccer, lacrosse, etc.

9. (sports, tennis) A mesh stretched to divide the court in tennis, badminton, volleyball, etc.
10. (tennis, by extension) The area of the court close to the net (mesh stretched to divide the court).

Synonyms

• (mesh): mesh, network
• (used for catching or trapping):
• (figurative: a trap): snare, trap
• (anything that has the appearance of a net): reticulation
• (in geometry): development
• (in computing): network

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

net (third-person singular simple present nets, present participle netting, simple past and past participle netted)

1. (transitive) To catch by means of a net.
2. (transitive, figuratively) To catch in a trap, or by stratagem.
3. To enclose or cover with a net.
4. (transitive, soccer) To score (a goal).
5. (tennis) To hit the ball into the net.
6. To form a netting or network; to knit.

Synonyms

• (catch by means of a net): catch
• (to trap): catch, ensnare, entrap, snare, trap

Derived terms

• benet
• internet, internetted, internetting

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English net, nette, from Old French net, from Latin nitidus. Doublet of neat and nitid.

Alternative forms

• nett

Adjective

net (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Good, desirable; clean, decent, clear.
2. Free from extraneous substances; pure; unadulterated; neat.

   net wine

3. Remaining after expenses or deductions.

   net profit; net weight

4. Final; end.

   net result; net conclusion

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

net (not comparable)

1. After expenses or deductions.

Derived terms

• net net

Translations

Noun

net (plural nets)

1. The amount remaining after expenses are deducted; profit.

Derived terms

• net net, net-net
• on net

Translations

Verb

net (third-person singular simple present nets, present participle netting, simple past and past participle netted)

1. (transitive) To receive as profit.

2. (transitive) To yield as profit for.

3. To fully hedge a position.

Derived terms

• net out

Translations

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Middle French nettoyer (“to cleanse”).

Verb

net (third-person singular simple present nets, present participle netting, simple past and past participle netted)

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

Derived terms

• netting

References

See also

• net and rouf

Anagrams

• ent, -ent, ENT, Ent, ten, TEN, ent-

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch net.

Pronunciation

Adverb

net

1. only, just

Bavarian

Alternative forms

• ned

Etymology

From Middle High German nicht, from Old High German niowiht. Cognates include German nicht and Luxembourgish net.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ned̥/, /nɛd̥/
• Hyphenation: net

Adverb

net

1. not

References

• Maria Hornung, Sigmar Grüner (2002) “ned, nęd, net, nęt”, in Wörterbuch der Wiener Mundart, 2nd edition, ÖBV & HPT
• Petr Šubrt (2010) Wiener dialekt (master thesis), Masaryk University, page 62

Catalan

Etymology 1

From Old Catalan net, from Vulgar Latin *nittus, syncopated from Latin nitidus (“bright, clear”). Doublet of nèdol ('pasturage'), from Old Catalan nèdeu (“clean”), from nitidus- but without the early syncope. Compare also French net, Italian netto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈnɛt]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [ˈnət]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈnet]

Adjective

net (feminine neta, masculine plural nets, feminine plural netes)

1. clean

   Antonyms: brut, sutze

2. net
3. (castells) (of a castell) built without a pinya, or without a folre or manilles when it would normally have these

Derived terms

• netament

Related terms

• netejar

Adverb

net

1. cleanly

Etymology 2

Derived in masculine from the feminine neta, from Late Latin nepta, from Latin neptis (“granddaughter”). Compare Portuguese neto and Spanish nieto.

Alternative forms

• nét (pre-2016 spelling)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈnet]

Noun

net m (plural nets, feminine neta)

1. grandson

   Coordinate term: nebot

Further reading

• “net” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “net”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “net” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “net” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “nét” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Central Franconian

Alternative forms

• nit (Kölsch)

Etymology

From Old High German niowiht.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /net/, /nət/

Adverb

net

1. (most dialects) not

Derived terms

• nemmieh (contraction with mieh)

Related terms

• nüüs, neist, nix

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɛt/, [ˈnɛd̥]

Etymology 1

From German nett, from Old French net (“neat”), from Latin nitidus (“shining”).

Adjective

net (plural and definite singular attributive nette)

1. visually pleasing and proper; well-groomed

Inflection

Etymology 2

Older ned, from Old Norse net, from Proto-Germanic *natją, cognate with Swedish nät, English net, German Netz. The modern Danish form, with -t instead of regular -d, is influenced by Low German Nett.

Noun

net n (singular definite nettet, plural indefinite net)

1. net, web
2. Abbreviation of internet.
3. tote bag

Declension

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɛt/
• Hyphenation: net
• Rhymes: -ɛt

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch net, nette, from Old Dutch *net, *netti, from Proto-Germanic *natją, from Proto-Indo-European *ned- (“to turn, twist, knot”).

Noun

net n (plural netten, diminutive netje n)

1. net (mesh)
2. net (device for catching and trapping)
3. television channel

   Synonyms: kanaal, zender

4. television network (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)
5. omentum, caul
6. a network, especially the Internet

   Synonyms: internet, web

Derived terms

Descendants

• Negerhollands: net
• → Indonesian: net
• → Lokono: nete
• → Papiamentu: nèt

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch net, which is borrowed from Old French net, from Latin nitidus.

Adjective

net (comparative netter, superlative netst)

1. clean, tidy
2. decent, proper

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

• Negerhollands: net
• → Papiamentu: nèt

Adverb

net

1. tidily, neatly
2. decently, properly
3. just, nearly, barely
4. just recently, just now

   Synonyms: zonet, zojuist, zo-even, zopas

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Indonesian: necis (“neatly”)
• → Papiamentu: nèchi, netsje, netjes

References

Anagrams

• ent, ten

Elfdalian

Etymology

From Old Norse net, from Proto-Germanic *natją, from Proto-Indo-European *ned- (“to turn, twist, knot”). Cognate to Swedish nät.

Noun

net n

1. net

Inflection

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse net, from Proto-Germanic *natją, from Proto-Indo-European *ned- (“to turn, twist, knot”).

Noun

net n (genitive singular nets, plural net)

1. (fowling, sports) mesh, the material to make a "nót" (fishing net)
2. A network (computing)
3. A net for carrying hay

Declension

Derived terms

• eiturkoppanet

Related terms

• tráður
• silkitráður
• lokkanet

Finnish

Etymology

From ne (“they”) +‎ -t (nominative plural). Compare Estonian need.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnet/, [ˈne̞t̪]
• Rhymes: -et
• Hyphenation^(key): net

Pronoun

net

1. (now dialectal, demonstrative) Alternative form of ne.
2. (dialectal, personal) Alternative form of he.

Declension

Same as ne except for the nominative plural form.

Anagrams

• -ten, ent.

French

Etymology

From Old French net, inherited from Latin nitidus (“shiny”) through a contracted Vulgar Latin form *nittus. Doublet of nitide, a borrowing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɛt/
• Rhymes: -ɛt
• Homophones: nets, nette, nettes

Adjective

net (feminine nette, masculine plural nets, feminine plural nettes)

1. clean, tidy
2. clear
3. net (as opposed to gross)

Derived terms

Related terms

• nettoyer

Descendants

• → Romanian: net
• → Spanish: neto
• → Turkish: net

Further reading

• “net”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Friulian

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *nittus, from Latin nitidus.

Adjective

net

1. clean, neat

Derived terms

• netâ

Gallo

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Adverb

net

1. completely, entirely

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɛt/, /nət/

Adverb

net

1. (Austria, Southern Germany, parts of Central Germany, colloquial) Alternative form of nicht (“not”)

Alternative forms

• ned, (internet slang) nd

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈnɛt]
• Hyphenation: net
• Rhymes: -ɛt

Noun

net (plural netek)

1. (informal, computing, Internet) Internet

   Synonym: internet

Declension

Hunsrik

Alternative forms

• nët (Wiesemann spelling system)

Etymology

From Middle High German nicht, from Old High German niowiht. Cognates include German nicht and Luxembourgish net.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /net/

Adverb

net

1. not

Further reading

• Online Hunsrik Dictionary

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse net, from Proto-Germanic *natją, from Proto-Indo-European *ned- (“to turn, twist, knot”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɛːt/
• Rhymes: -ɛːt

Noun

net n (genitive singular nets, nominative plural net)

1. net
2. (computing) network
3. (computing, usually definite) the Internet

   Synonym: Internet

Declension

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch net, from Middle Dutch net, nette, from Old Dutch *net, *netti, from Proto-Germanic *natją, from Proto-Indo-European *ned- (“to turn, twist, knot”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈnɛt̚]
• Hyphenation: nèt

Noun

net (plural net-net)

1. (sports) net, a mesh stretched to divide the court in tennis, badminton, volleyball, etc

   Hyponym: jaring

Further reading

• “net” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Kven

Etymology

From Finnish ne, from Proto-Finnic *nek. Cognates include Meänkieli net.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnet/

Determiner

net

1. these, those

Pronoun

net

1. these, those
2. they

Declension

Synonyms

• (they): het

See also

References

• Eira Söderholm (2017) Kvensk grammatikk‎^[5], Tromsø: Cappelen Damm Akademisk, →ISBN, page 278

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈnet/, [ˈnɛt̪]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈnet/, [ˈnɛt̪]

Verb

net

1. third-person singular present active subjunctive of nō
2. third-person singular present active indicative of neō

Lithuanian

Etymology

From ne (“no”) + a particle -t of indeterminate origin, perhaps formed similarly to bèt (“but, yet”).

Particle

nèt

1. even

   net jis verkė ― even he cried

   jis net verkė ― he even cried

References

Further reading

• “net”, in Lietuvių kalbos žodynas [Dictionary of the Lithuanian language], lkz.lt, 1941–2025
• “net”, in Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos žodynas [Dictionary of contemporary Lithuanian], ekalba.lt, 1954–2025

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Old High German niowiht, from nio (“never”) + wiht (“thing, being”), from Proto-Germanic *ne (“not”) + *aiw- (“ever”) + *wiht- (“thing”). Compare English not, German nicht, Dutch niet, West Frisian net.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /net/, [nət]
  • Rhymes: -ət

Adverb

net

1. not

Meänkieli

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *nek +‎ -t (“nominative plural suffix”). Compare Finnish ne, net.

Pronoun

net

1. they

Middle English

Alternative forms

• nett, nette, nete

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɛːt/, /nɛt/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman neit, a variant of Old French net, nette, from Latin nitidus (“gleaming”).

Adjective

net

1. worthy, good, pure, fine, elegant
2. net

Descendants

• English: neat, net
• Scots: neat, nate
• Yola: neatt, neeat, naate, nate

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old English nett.

Noun

net

1. net (a mesh of string, cord or rope)

Descendants

• English: net

References

Norman

Alternative forms

• naette (Guernsey)

Etymology

From Old French net, from Vulgar Latin *nittus, from Latin nitidus (“shiny”).

Pronunciation

Adjective

net m

1. (Jersey) clean

   Synonym: propre

Derived terms

• netti (“to clean”)

Related terms

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

net n (definite singular netet, indefinite plural net, definite plural neta or neti)

1. (pre-2012) alternative form of nett

Old English

Noun

net n

1. Alternative form of nett

Old French

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *nittus, syncopated from Latin nitidus (“shining, polished”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /net/

Adjective

net m (oblique and nominative feminine singular nete)

1. clean

Declension

Descendants

• Anglo-Norman: neit
  • → Middle English: *nete
    • English: neat
    • Scots: neat
• French: net (see there for further descendants)
• → Breton: néat
• → Middle Dutch: net
  • Dutch: net
  • → Middle High German: nett (Lower Rhenish)
    • Alemannic German: nett
    • German: nett
      • → Danish: net
• → Middle English: net, nette
  • English: net (obsolete)
• → Spanish: neto (if not from Catalan)

References

• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “nĭtĭdus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 7: N–Pas, page 151

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *nizdos, from Proto-Indo-European *nisdós.

Noun

net m (genitive nit, nominative plural nit)

1. nest

Inflection

Descendants

• Irish: nead
• Scottish Gaelic: nead
• Manx: edd (“nest”)

References

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “net”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *natją, whence also Old English net, nett, Old Frisian nette, nitte, Old Saxon net, nett, netti, Old High German nezzi, Gothic 𐌽𐌰𐍄𐌹 (nati). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ned- (“to turn, twist, knot”).

Noun

net n

1. net

Declension

Descendants

• Icelandic: net
• Faroese: net
• Norwegian: nett, net
• Old Swedish: næt
  • Swedish: nät
• Danish: net

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “net”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

From Middle High German niwiht, niweht, niht, a contracted form of Old High German niowiht, from nio (“never”) + wiht (“being, creature”), the last from Proto-Germanic *wihtą.

Compare German nicht, Dutch niet, English not.

Adverb

net

1. not

Portuguese

Etymology

Clipping of internet.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: net

Noun

net f (usually uncountable, plural nets)

1. (colloquial) Net; the Internet

   Synonyms: rede, Internet, web

2. (colloquial, by extension) Internet connection

References

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French net, itself from Latin nitidus. Doublet of the inherited neted.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /net/

Adjective

net m or n (feminine singular netă, masculine plural neți, feminine and neuter plural nete)

1. net
2. clear, clear-cut, plain

Declension

Synonyms

• (clear): clar

Adverb

net

1. clearly, distinctly
2. plainly, flatly
3. directly, bluntly, point blank, crisply
4. avowedly

Turkish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /net/

Etymology 1

From French net, from Latin nitidus.

Adjective

net

1. clear
2. manifest
3. (of an amount) net

   Antonym: brüt

Declension

Related terms

• netleşmek

Etymology 2

From English net.

Noun

net (definite accusative neti, plural netler)

1. (sports) The net used in ping-pong or tennis.

Declension

References

• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “net1”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “net2”, in Nişanyan Sözlük

Vietnamese

Etymology

Borrowed from English net.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [nɛt̚˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [nɛt̚˦˧˥]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [nɛk̚˦˥]
• Phonetic spelling: nét

Noun

net

1. (colloquial) Short for quán net (“Internet cafe”).

   đi net ― to go to an Internet cafe

West Frisian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɛt/

Etymology 1

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *ne (“not”) + *aiw- (“ever”) + *wihtą (“thing”).

Adverb

net

1. not

Inflection

• “net (II)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

Etymology 2

From Old Frisian nette, nitte, from Proto-West Germanic *nati, from Proto-Germanic *natją, from Proto-Indo-European *ned- (“to turn, twist, knot”).

Noun

net n (plural netten, diminutive netsje)

1. net

Further reading

• “net (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011