Cobweb Definition & Meaning Merriam-Webster. noun cob web ˈkäb-ˌweb 1 a : the network spread by a spider : spiderweb b : tangles of the silken threads of a spiderweb usually covered with accumulated dirt and dust 2 : something that entangles, obscures, or confuses a cobweb of law and politics cobwebbed ˈkäb-ˌwebd.

Literally, cobwebs are only old spiderwebs, but one family of spiders got the top title – Theridiidae or “cobwebs.