spider silk (material)

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Scope note
Protein substance spun by spiders as thin, uniform filaments to make webs, other structures, conveyance, or to capture prey. A strand of spider silk is about 25 micrometers (0.00001 inches) in diameter. It is strong and dimensionally stable. Hummingbirds and other animals use spider silk for nest-building. Spider silk is currently used for crosshairs in optical instruments. Attempts have been made to produce fabric from spider silk, but it took an enormous number of spider webs and work to produce a fabric that was so sheer that it was of little use.
spider silk
Accepted term: 18-Nov-2024