tēla, ae, f. [prob. contr. from texia, from texo; cf. ala, from axilla; mala, from maxilla, Cic. Or. 45, 153], a web.
I Lit.: texentem telam studiose ipsam offendimus, Ter. Heaut. 285: Penelope telam retexens, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 29, 95: tenui telas discreverat auro, Verg. A. 4, 264; 11, 75: vetus in telā deducitur argumentum, Ov. M. 6, 69: commenta retexere tela, Stat. S. 3, 5, 9; Dig. 32, 1, 69; 34, 2, 22: lanā et telā victum quaeritans, Ter. And. 75; cf.: assiduis exercet bracchia telis, Ov. F. 4, 699: antiquas exercet telas, id. M. 6, 145: plena domus telarum, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 26, § 59.—Of a spider’s web : deiciamque eorum (araneorum) omnis telas, Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 25; Cat. 68, 49; Mart. 8, 33, 15; Juv. 14, 61.—
B Transf.
1 The threads that run lengthwise in the loom , the warp (syn.: stamen, trama), Tib. 1, 6, 79: licia telae Addere, Verg. G. 1, 285; 3, 562; Ov. M. 4, 275; 6, 54 sq.—
2 A weaver’s beam , yarn-beam; also, a loom , Cato R. R. 10, 5; 14, 2; Ov. M. 4, 35; 6, 576. —
II Trop., a web , i. e. a plan , design : exorsa haec tela non male omnino mihi est, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 116: ad detexundam telam, id. Ps. 1, 4, 7: quamquam ea tela texitur et ea incitatur in civitate ratio vivendi, ut, etc., Cic. de Or. 3, 60, 226.