What does "weave" mean?
A type or way of weaving.
Weave
/wiːv/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A type or way of weaving.
- Grammar: weave is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: anatomy, arabesque, architectonics, architecture.
- Useful contrasts: go direct, go straight, isolate.
- Usage evidence: Spiders always weave their webs in three dimensions.
How to use "weave"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "weave" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "weave" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "weave" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "weave" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "weave" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "anatomy" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "weave", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A type or way of weaving.
"That rug has a very tight weave."
- 2 pattern of weaving or structure of a fabric wordnet
- 3 Human or artificial hair worn to alter one's appearance, either to supplement or to cover the natural hair.
"The physician should evaluate for a history of tight ponytails, buns, chignons, braids, twists, weaves, cornrows, dreadlocks, sisterlocks, and hair wefts in addition to the usage of religious hair coverings."
Verb
- 1 To form something by passing lengths or strands of material over and under one another. transitive
"This loom weaves yarn into sweaters."
- 2 To move by turning and twisting. intransitive
"The drunk weaved into another bar."
- 3 interlace by or as if by weaving wordnet
- 4 To spin a cocoon or a web. transitive
"Spiders weave beautiful but deadly webs."
- 5 To make (a path or way) by winding in and out or from side to side. transitive
"The ambulance weaved its way through the heavy traffic."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 create a piece of cloth by interlacing strands of fabric, such as wool or cotton wordnet
- 7 To unite by close connection or intermixture. transitive
"This weaves itself, perforce, into my business."
- 8 To move the head back and forth in a stereotyped pattern, typically as a symptom of stress. intransitive
- 9 sway from side to side wordnet
- 10 To compose creatively and intricately; to fabricate. transitive
"to weave the plot of a story"
- 11 to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course wordnet
Example
"Spiders always weave their webs in three dimensions."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "weave"?
Common synonyms include: anatomy, arabesque, architectonics, architecture, arrangement, basket.
How do you use "weave" in a sentence?
Spiders always weave their webs in three dimensions.
How do you pronounce "weave"?
Pronounced /wiːv/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English weven (“to weave”), from Old English wefan (“to weave”), from Proto-West Germanic *weban, from Proto-Germanic *webaną, from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to weave, braid”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian weev, weew, weewe (“to weave”), Saterland Frisian weeuwe (“to weave”), Dutch weven (“to weave”), German weben (“to weave”), Luxembourgish wiewen (“to weave”), Yiddish וועבן (vebn, “to weave”), Danish væve (“to weave”), Faroese veva (“to weave”), Icelandic vefa (“to weave”), Norwegian Bokmål veve (“to weave”), Norwegian Nynorsk veva, veve (“to weave”), Swedish väva (“to weave”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English weven (“to wander”); probably from Old Norse veifa (“move around, wave”), related to Latin vibrare.