net (-tt-) (UK ALSO nett) /net/ adjective [before or after noun]
► F0 left when there is nothing else to be taken away: » I earn £25,000 gross, but my net income (= income that is left after tax has been paid) is about £18,000.» The net weight of something excludes the weight of the material that it is packed in.→ COMPARE GROSS(Cf. ↑gross) adjective adverbThesaurus+: ↑Taxation• • •
Extra Examples:» Having deducted costs we still made a net gain of five thousand pounds.» The net result of the changes will be increased fares and reduced services for most rail travellers.» The fund must buy its shares back for their approximate net asset value.» What are your net earnings?» The country's net exports have decreased. net /net/ noun (PLURAL -tt-) (SPORT)
B1 [C] a rectangular piece of material made from string, used to separate the two sides in various sports:
» If the ball touches the net during a service in a game of tennis, you have to serve again.See picture: tennis net 
Thesaurus+: ↑Tennis and racket sports
B1 [C] the area surrounded by a piece of material made from string into which a ball or puck is put in order to score points in various sports:
» His penalty kick placed the ball decisively in the back of the net.» a basketball netSee picture: practice net for cricket Thesaurus+: ↑Surfaces on which sports take place
net /net/ noun [C or U] (PLURAL -tt-) (MATERIAL)
► B1 material made of threads of rope, string, wire, or plastic with spaces between them, allowing gas, liquid, or small objects to go through, or an object made with this material that is used to limit the movement of something: » a fishing net» a butterfly net» Dolphins often get tangled in the nets that are used to catch tuna fish.» The living-room windows have net curtains that let in sunlight but stop passers-by looking in from the street.See picture: fishing net Thesaurus+: ↑Nets, grids and grillesThesaurus+: ↑General words for textiles
• • •
Extra Examples:» The goalkeeper made a valiant dive for the ball, but couldn't stop it going in the net.» There are laws there to protect the mentally ill, but now and then someone does slip through the net.» The welfare state was set up to provide a safety net for the poor and needy.» The police are tightening the net around the smugglers.» You'll have to hit the ball quite high to get it over that net. net /net/ verb [T] (-tt-) (CATCH) ↑Verb Endings for net
F0 to catch something using a net:
» How many fish did you net this afternoon?Thesaurus+: ↑Capturing or taking possession of things , ↑Getting, receiving and acceptingF0 to get something good or to earn a lot of money from something:
» [+ two objects] She netted herself a fortune when she sold her company.» Mark's netted himself a top job with an advertising company.» She netted £10 million (for herself) from the sale of her company.Thesaurus+: ↑Earning money and money earned net /net/ verb [T] (-tt-) (SCORE) ↑Verb Endings for net
► F0 If you net the ball during a game such as football, you score a goal: » He secured a dramatic victory for England by netting the ball half a minute before the end of the game.Thesaurus+: ↑Scoring, winning and losing in sport , ↑Winning and defeating , ↑Losing and being defeated- all at once
- allay
- all but
- (all) by herself
- all by herself
- (all) by himself
- all by himself
- (all) by itself
- all by itself
- (all) by myself
- all by myself
- (all) by ourselves
- all by ourselves
- (all) by themselves
- all by themselves
- (all) by yourself
- all by yourself
- all-comers
- all credit to sb
- allegation
- allege
- alleged
- allegedly
- allegiance
- allegorical