# network

Pronunciation: say "NET-wurk" US /ˈnɛt.wɝk/, UK /ˈnɛt.wɜːk/

## Noun

1. A set of computers and other devices connected together so they can exchange data and share resources.
   - Simple: Several computers and other devices joined together so they can share information.
   - _The company's network spans three buildings and links hundreds of workstations._
   - _A poorly secured network exposes every connected device to attack._
2. An interconnected group or system of any kind, whether of things, people, or parts.
   - Simple: A group or system of connected things, people, or parts.
   - _The river feeds a vast network of streams and irrigation channels._
   - _A network of spies passed messages across the border._
3. A group of people connected to one another socially, especially through occupational or business ties.
   - Simple: A group of people who know each other and stay in touch, often to help with work.
   - _A wide professional network can open doors that qualifications alone cannot._
   - _She spent years building a network of contacts across the publishing industry._
4. A group of affiliated television stations that broadcast shared programming supplied by a parent company.
   - Simple: A group of TV stations that all show the same programs from one main company.
   - _The network canceled the show after just one season._
   - _Three rival networks competed for the rights to broadcast the games._
8. A net-like fabric or structure made of fibers joined to one another at regular intervals, or the process of making such a thing.
   - Simple: A net-like material made of threads or wires joined at even spaces.
   - _The beekeeper's veil is a fine network of black thread that keeps bees off her face while letting her see clearly._
   - _Spiders spin an intricate network of silk to trap their prey._

## Verb

5. To interact with others socially for the purpose of gaining connections or personal advancement.
   - Simple: To meet and talk with people in order to make useful connections.
   - _Young professionals are encouraged to network early in their careers._
   - _She networked tirelessly throughout the trade show._
6. To connect computers or the other parts of a system so that they can communicate or work together as a whole.
   - Simple: To join computers or other things together so they can share information or work as one.
   - _They networked the lab's machines to a central server._
   - _Administrators network thousands of devices across a single campus._
7. To air a program simultaneously on all the stations and affiliates of a broadcasting network.
   - Simple: To broadcast a program on all the stations of a radio or TV network at the same time.
   - _The company networked the debate so every affiliate carried it live._
   - _Producers chose to network the finale, reaching viewers in every region at once._

## Origin

A compound of "net" and "work." The nonliteral senses grew out of the literal one and are now dominant. It is cognate with German "Netzwerk."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/network (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).