Christopher Emme, age 8, of Omaha, Neb., for his question:     

WHY ARE SPIDER WEBS CALLED COBWEBS?

Many everyday things were named long ago. Then some of the original names were changed. Sometimes a new name was invented and the old name was forgotten. This is what happened to the cobweb that turned into a spider web. The web part of the word stayed the same. It means a sort of net or a stringy trap to catch or hold something.

Ages ago, the people of England had a different name for the spider. They called him a coppe. Later they shortened this word to cop. And naturally the cop spun a web of filmy threads, just as he does today. In those days it was called a copweb‑‑or a cobweb, which is easier to say. Then the cop's name was changed to the spider‑‑and the old‑fashioned cobweb became a modern spider web.