What are cobwebs? Aren't they basically abandoned spider webs? And why do we call them cobwebs?

Answer 1

No, they are not always abandoned, but we have come to think of them that way.

From the Middle English name for a spider web, derived from the word "coppe" meaning spider. Current usage often denotes an old spider web with no currently residing spider.

Also:

-The web spun by a spider to catch its prey.
-A single thread spun by a spider.
-Something resembling the web of a spider in gauziness or flimsiness.
-An intricate plot; a snare: caught in a cobweb of espionage and intrigue.
-Confusion; disorder: cobwebs on the brain

And, lately,
- Web page that has not been updated in a long time.

- Web page that is rarely downloaded because the references to it are obscure or the subject is simply uninteresting.

Answer 2

Yes, the word may come from what we think of as spiderwebs, but it also applies to those long, hangy-down (that's the technical term, honest!) things on the ceiling.

These can be caused by spiderweb strands attracting dust particles, insect silk doing the same, and, especially in the kitchen (but even kitchen air moves throughout the house), grease attracting particles, which attract others, and so on.

I've often wondered why so many form in the bathroom, when I seldom see spiders in mine. I believe it is from bathroom-type sprays. When my young-adult daughter moved back in, with her hairspray, spray deodorant and 9 million hair-care products, the cobwebs got much worse within in two weeks.

Answer 3

Yes it is an abandoned spider web.

It comes from Middle English coppeweb : coppe, spider (short for attercoppe)

Answer 4

I thought cobwebs were made of dust and usually located inside of houses or buildings.

Answer 5

What Are Cob Webs

Answer 6

Yes, made from spiders