| 1. | any netlike combination of filaments, lines, veins, passages, or the like: a network of arteries; a network of sewers under the city. |
| 2. | Radio and Television.
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| 3. | a system of interrelated buildings, offices, stations, etc., esp. over a large area or throughout a country, territory, region, etc.: a network of supply depots. |
| 4. | Electricity. an arrangement of conducting elements, as resistors, capacitors, or inductors, connected by conducting wire. |
| 5. | a netting or net. |
| 6. | Telecommunications, Computers. a system containing any combination of computers, computer terminals, printers, audio or visual display devices, or telephones interconnected by telecommunication equipment or cables: used to transmit or receive information. |
| 7. | an association of individuals having a common interest, formed to provide mutual assistance, helpful information, or the like: a network of recent college graduates. |
| 8. | to cultivate people who can be helpful to one professionally, esp. in finding employment or moving to a higher position: His business lunches were taken up with networking. |
| 9. | to place (as a program from a local radio or television station) in or on a network: The station will try to network the local cooking show. |
| 10. | to connect to a network. |
| 11. | to distribute widely: We charge a small fee for networking your résumé. |
| 12. | to cover with or as if with a network: to network a bay with buoy markers. |
| 13. | to organize into a network: to network the state's independent stations. |
| 14. | to broadcast (a program) over a radio or television network. |
network net·work (nět'wûrk')
n.
A fabric or structure in which cords, threads, or wires cross at regular intervals.
A body structure resembling such a fabric or structure.
network networking
Hardware and software data communication systems.
The OSI seven layer model attempts to provide a way of partitioning any computer network into independent modules from the lowest (physical) layer to the highest (application) layer. Many different specifications exist at each of these layers.
Networks are often also classified according to their geographical extent: local area network (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN) and also according to the protocols used.
See BITNET, Ethernet, Internet, Novell, PSTN, network, the.
[Tanenbaum, A., "Computer Networks; 2nd ed.", Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1989.]
(1995-03-10)