---
title: cobweb — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «cobweb» in the school dictionary: A cobweb is the fine sticky thread net that a spider spins to catch insects. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# cobweb

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** cobweb, spider, cobwebs, old silly ideas, attic · **What happens:** be, spin, catch, mean, not be · **To what, where:** fine sticky thread net, insects, old silly ideas, fly, cobweb, tales

<!-- .vabout -->
«cobweb» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 3 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [cobweb in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/cobweb.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A cobweb is the fine sticky thread net that a spider spins to catch insects.

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:cobweb:m1:1
# text = A cobweb is the fine sticky thread net that a spider spins to catch insects.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cobweb	cobweb	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
5	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
6	sticky	sticky	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
7	thread	thread	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	net	net	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
9	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	obj	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	spider	spider	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
12	spins	spin	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	catch	catch	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	advcl	_	_
15	insects	insect	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a cobweb | the fine sticky thread net |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **spin** | present | a spider | the fine sticky thread net |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent that=Theme |
| 3 | **catch** | to-infinitive | a spider *not said here* | insects |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent insect=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In talk, «cobwebs» can mean old, silly ideas that are not true.

<!-- fold The tree, 12 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:cobweb:m2:1
# text = In talk, «cobwebs» can mean old, silly ideas that are not true.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	talk	talk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
4	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	cobwebs	cobweb	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
7	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	mean	mean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
9	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
11	silly	silly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	ideas	idea	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	_
13	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	16	nsubj	_	_
14	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
15	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	16	advmod	_	_
16	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | can | cobwebs | old silly ideas |  |  |  | in talk | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Pivot idea=Theme in talk=Attribute |
| 2 | **not** **is** | present | old silly ideas |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The fly was caught in the cobweb.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:cobweb:x1:1
# text = The fly was caught in the cobweb.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	fly	fly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	caught	catch	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	cobweb	cobweb	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **catch** | past · passive |  | the fly |  | the cobweb |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The attic was full of dusty cobwebs.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:cobweb:x2:1
# text = The attic was full of dusty cobwebs.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	attic	attic	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	dusty	dusty	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	cobwebs	cobweb	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the attic |  |  |  |  | of dusty cobwebs; full *property* | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Are all these tales just cobwebs and moontalk?

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:cobweb:x3:1
# text = Are all these tales just cobwebs and moontalk?
1	Are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
2	all	all	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
3	these	this	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	4	det	_	_
4	tales	tale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
5	just	just	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	cobwebs	cobweb	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	moontalk	moontalk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | this tales and moontalk |  |  |  | cobwebs *nmod*; all *property* | tree rules |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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