Webster

//ˈwɛbstɚ// name, noun

name, noun ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A weaver (originally, specifically female). historical

    "A Derbyshire webster who proposed to cure a lunatic with a paper charm in the reign of Charles I demanded £3 down, and £3 more when the patient was cured."

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    An English surname originating as an occupation for someone who was a weaver. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    Any of various dictionaries published under the name Webster. countable, uncountable
  3. 3
    Nickname for a person who is a walking dictionary. countable, humorous, uncountable
  4. 4
    A placename; A locality in the County of Grande Prairie, No. 1, north-west Alberta, Canada. countable, uncountable
  5. 5
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A neighbourhood of San Diego, California. countable, uncountable
Show 26 more definitions
  1. 6
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Yolo County, California. countable, uncountable
  2. 7
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A minor city in Sumter County, Florida. countable, uncountable
  3. 8
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Hancock County, Illinois. countable, uncountable
  4. 9
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A township and unincorporated community therein, in Wayne County, Indiana. countable, uncountable
  5. 10
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A minor city in Keokuk County, Iowa. countable, uncountable
  6. 11
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Madison County, Iowa. countable, uncountable
  7. 12
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. countable, uncountable
  8. 13
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; Former name of Sabattus: a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States; renamed in 1971. countable, uncountable
  9. 14
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A town and census-designated place therein, in Worcester County, Massachusetts. countable, uncountable
  10. 15
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A township and unincorporated community therein, in Rice County, Minnesota. countable, uncountable
  11. 16
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Dodge County, Nebraska. countable, uncountable
  12. 17
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. countable, uncountable
  13. 18
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A town and village therein, in Monroe County, New York. countable, uncountable
  14. 19
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Jackson County, North Carolina. countable, uncountable
  15. 20
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Ramsey County, North Dakota. countable, uncountable
  16. 21
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Darke County, Ohio. countable, uncountable
  17. 22
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A ghost town in Putnam County, Ohio. countable, uncountable
  18. 23
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A small city, the county seat of Day County, South Dakota. countable, uncountable
  19. 24
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A city in Harris County, Texas. countable, uncountable
  20. 25
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Botetourt County, Virginia. countable, uncountable
  21. 26
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Taylor County, West Virginia. countable, uncountable
  22. 27
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A village in Burnett County, Wisconsin. countable, uncountable
  23. 28
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Vernon County, Wisconsin. countable, uncountable
  24. 29
    A placename; Ellipsis of Webster City. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
  25. 30
    A placename; Ellipsis of Webster County. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
  26. 31
    A placename; Ellipsis of Webster Parish. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable

Example

More examples

"Mr. and Mrs. William Webster had come all the way from Woodford to Concord, leaving three babies at home, to assist their old friends at the Inaugural Ball. You must have guessed that Mollie O'Neill, as Mrs. William Webster, would have grown plumper and prettier during the busy, happy years of married life with her husband and children on their large farm. For Mollie now had a small daughter "Polly," named for her beloved twin sister, and a pair of twin sons, Dan and Billy. She was more than ever in love with her husband and, many people believed, entirely under his thumb. Yet there were times when Mollie could and would assert herself in a surprising fashion just as she had in former days with her girl friends."

Etymology

From Middle English webbestere, webster, from Old English webbestre, feminine form of webba (“weaver”). Compare web, weave, and -ster.

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.