net

Etymology 1

From Middle English nett, 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

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. 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients
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. 1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, page 190
4. Anything that has the appearance of such a device.
   Petri net
5. (by extension) A trap.
   caught in the prosecuting attorney's net
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.
   Wigan had N'Zogbia sent off late on but Squillaci headed into his own net to give the home side a deserved point. December 29, 2010, Mark Vesty, “Wigan 2-2 Arsenal”, in BBC
   The striker headed the ball into the net to make it 1-0.
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).

verb

1. (transitive) To catch by means of a net.
2. (transitive, figurative) To catch in a trap, or by stratagem.
3. To enclose or cover with a net.
   to net a tree
4. (transitive, soccer) 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. 2012, Chelsea 6-0 Wolves
5. (tennis) 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. June 28, 2011, David Ornstein, “Wimbledon 2011: Victoria Azarenka beats Tamira Paszek in quarters”, in BBC Sport
6. To form a netting or network; to knit.

Etymology 2

From Middle English net, nette, from Old French net, from Latin nitidus. Compare nitid, neat.

adj

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

adv

1. After expenses or deductions.
   You'll have $5000 net.

noun

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

verb

1. (transitive) To receive as profit.
   The company nets $30 on every sale.
2. (transitive) To yield as profit for.
   The scam netted the criminals $30,000.
3. To fully hedge a position.
   Every party is netting their position with a counter-party