Definition of "spinneret" [spin•ner•et]

• Any of various tubular structures from which spiders and certain insect larvae, such as silkworms, secrete the silk threads from which they form webs or cocoons. (noun)
• A device for making rayon, nylon, and other synthetic fibers, consisting of a plate pierced with holes through which plastic material is extruded in filaments. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The transgenic cloning of the spinneret structures let us fine tune the fibers we were making through electrode stimulation."
• "This spinneret creates the silk that is needed for the caterpillar to spin a cocoon in which it will pupate."
• "The head is distinct and bears a ring of ocelli (simple eyes), shortened antennae, chewing mouthparts, and a spinneret."