Reading Theme:
Net Meaning: From Fishing Nets to Net Profit (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：woven mesh (net)
net
/net/
n.
A thing made of woven strings or ropes with holes in between, used to catch, hold, or keep things out.
woven mesh
➕
/ˈwoʊvən mɛʃ/
n.
A structure made of threads or ropes arranged with open spaces, used for catching, holding, or blocking.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
Net comes from Old English 'net(t)', from Proto-Germanic '*natja', meaning a mesh of threads.
💡 Mnemonic
Think of a butterfly net: it captures things. In finance, net profit is what you 'capture' after deductions.
📖 Example
The little girl ran through the meadow with a net, trying to catch butterflies.
The little girl ran through the meadow with a net, trying to catch butterflies.
🔗 Collocations
fishing net – a net used for catching fish
butterfly net – a net with a long handle for catching butterflies
safety net – a system that provides protection from failure or hardship
🔄 Synonyms
📖 Cultural Story
Originally a fishing tool in Old English, 'net' later expanded to describe interconnected systems like the Internet, symbolizing a global web of connections.
Meaning 2：net amount (net)
net
/net/
n.
The final amount that remains after all costs, taxes, or other deductions have been taken away.
net amount
➕
/net əˈmaʊnt/
n.
The amount that remains after subtracting all costs, taxes, and deductions from the total.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
After paying all the bills and taxes, the net profit for our small business was enough to buy new equipment.
After paying all the bills and taxes, the net profit for our small business was enough to buy new equipment.
🔗 Collocations
net profit – profit after all expenses
net income – income after taxes
net worth – total assets minus liabilities
🔄 Synonyms
take-home pay (n.) – salary after deductions
proceeds (n.) – money obtained from a sale after costs
bottom line (n.) – final profit or loss
🚫 Antonyms
gross (n.) – the total amount before deductions
Wordbook
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