English Reference
noun · verb

mesh

n. · v.
US /ˈmɛʃ/ UK /mˈɛʃ/ mesh UK spelling meshes

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.a material made of wire, plastic, or thread that has many small, even holes.

    n.a structure of interlaced strands of metal, fibre, or other flexible material with uniform open spaces.

    Simple

    The window has a fine wire mesh to keep the insects out.

    In context

    The industrial filter uses a stainless steel mesh to separate large particles from the liquid stream during the refining process.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    n.a type of network where every device connects directly to many others.

    n.a network topology in which each node relays data for the network and connects to multiple other nodes.

    Simple

    We installed a mesh network to make sure the Wi-Fi reached every room.

    In context

    The deployment of a mesh topology ensured that the communication system remained resilient even if several individual nodes failed simultaneously.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    n.a collection of points and shapes that define the surface of a 3D object in a computer program.

    n.a collection of vertices, edges, and faces that defines the shape of a polyhedral object in computer graphics.

    Simple

    The designer adjusted the mesh of the character to make the skin look smoother.

    In context

    The high-resolution polygon mesh allowed for incredibly detailed textures, though it significantly increased the rendering time for the final animation.

  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate

    v.to fit or work together well, like the teeth of two wheels or two different ideas.

    v.to interlock or engage, as with gear teeth; figuratively, to coordinate or harmonize effectively.

    Simple

    The two different management styles didn't mesh well at first.

    In context

    The gears must mesh perfectly to ensure the smooth transfer of power from the motor to the drive shaft.

    interlockharmonizealign

Under his watch, the show and the host managed to mesh perfectly.

The Guardian· 8 Sept 2026

From Middle English mesche, from Old English masc (“net”) (perhaps influenced in form by related Old English mæscre (“mesh, spot”)), from the related Proto-Germanic maskwǭ and maskrǭ respectively, from Proto-Indo-European *mezg- (“to knit, twist, plait”). Akin to Old High German māsca (“mesh”), Old Saxon maska (“net”), Old Norse mǫskvi, mǫskun (“mesh”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin ine-pro *mezg-
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated