Lewis & Short

tēla, ae, f. [prob. contr. from texia, from texo; cf. ala, from axilla; mala, from maxilla, Cic. Or. 45, 153], a web.

  1. I. Lit.: texentem telam studiose ipsam offendimus, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 44: Penelope telam retexens, Cic. Ac. 2, 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. 1, 1, 48; 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.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 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. 2. A weaver’s beam, yarn-beam; also, a loom, Cato, R. R. 10, 5; 14, 2; Ov. M. 4, 35; 6, 576.
  2. 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.