spinneret

noun

spin·​ner·​et ˌspi-nə-ˈret How to pronounce spinneret (audio)
1
: an organ (as of a spider or caterpillar) for producing threads of silk from the secretion of silk glands
2
or spinnerette : a small metal plate, thimble, or cap with fine holes through which a chemical solution (as of cellulose) is forced in the spinning of man-made filaments (as of rayon or nylon)

Examples of spinneret in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Every so often, their legs curl and their spinnerets twitch — and the retinas of their eyes, visible through their translucent exoskeletons, shift back and forth. — Carolyn Wilke, Popular Science, 6 Sep. 2023 Every so often, their legs curl and their spinnerets twitch—and the retinas of their eyes, visible through their translucent exoskeletons, shift back and forth. — Carolyn Wilke, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spinneret was in 1826

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“Spinneret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spinneret. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

spinneret

noun
spin·​ner·​et ˌspin-ə-ˈret How to pronounce spinneret (audio)
: an organ especially of a spider or caterpillar that has a small hole through which the sticky fluid produced by the silk glands is forced and hardens to form a silk thread

More from Merriam-Webster on spinneret

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spinneret

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