tēla (noun F) : prob. contr. from texia, from texo; cf. ala, from axilla; mala, from maxilla,Cic. Or. 45, 153
* A web.
* 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.
* Transf.
* 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.
* A weaver's beam, yarn-beam; also, a loom, Cato, R. R. 10, 5; 14, 2; Ov. M. 4, 35; 6, 576.