net [1] ( nets plural & 3rd person present) ( netting present participle) ( netted past tense & past participle ) (NOUN AND VERB USES)
1 n-uncount Net is a kind of cloth that you can see through. It is made of very fine threads woven together so that there are small equal spaces between them.
2 n-count A net is a piece of netting which is used as a protective covering for something, for example to protect vegetables from birds.
I threw aside my mosquito net and jumped out of bed.
3 n-count A net is a piece of netting which is used for catching fish, insects, or animals.
Several fishermen sat on wooden barrels, tending their nets.
4 n-sing The Net is the same as the Internet.
the N
5 verb If you net a fish or other animal, you catch it in a net.
(=land)
I'm quite happy to net a fish and then let it go... V n
6 n-count In games such as tennis, thenet is the piece of netting across the centre of the court which the ball has to go over.
usu the N in sing
7 n-count Thenet on a football or hockey field is the framework with netting over it which is attached to the back of the goal.
usu the N in sing
(=goal)
He let the ball slip through his grasp and into the net.
8 n-count In basketball, thenet is the netting which hangs from the metal hoop. You score goals by throwing the ball through the hoop and netting.
9 verb If you net something, you manage to get it, especially by using skill.
They took to the water intent on netting the £250,000 reward offered for conclusive proof of the monster's existence. V n
10 verb If you net a particular amount of money, you gain it as profit after all expenses have been paid.
(=make)
Last year he netted a cool 3 million pounds by selling his holdings... V n
11
→
netting
→
safety net
12 If you cast your net wider, you look for or consider a greater variety of things.
♦
cast one's net wider/spread net wider phrase V and N inflect
The security forces are casting their net wider.
13 If criminals slip through the net, they avoid being caught by the system or trap that was meant to catch them.
♦
slip through the net phrase V inflects
Officials fear some of the thugs identified by British police may have slipped through the net.
14 You use slip through the net or fall through the net to describe a situation where people are not properly cared for by the system that is intended to help them.
♦
slip/fall through the net phrase V inflects
The existence of more than one agency with power to intervene can lead to children falling through the net.