Meaning & use
spidergrams
Last updated
“spidergrams” is a form of “spidergram”.
Meaning
nounpluralBritish
Diagrams with a central idea and lines branching out to related words or ideas, used for planning and learning.
Grammar: This is the plural form; use 'a spidergram' for one diagram.
Patterns
- draw spidergrams
- use spidergrams to plan something
- make a spidergram
The teacher asked us to make spidergrams before writing our essays.
Spidergrams help you see how different ideas are connected.
She filled three spidergrams with vocabulary for the topic.
Word forms
| singular | spidergram |
|---|
Common combinations
- draw a spidergram
- Draw a spidergram in the middle of the page and add your ideas around it.
- use spidergrams for planning
- Many students use spidergrams for planning their writing.
- a spidergram of ideas
- The board was covered with a spidergram of ideas for the project.
- make spidergrams in class
- The children made spidergrams in class to review the story.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mind map
- Very close in meaning and more common in general English; 'spidergram' is especially used in British schools.
- concept map
- Similar, but often shows more complex relationships between ideas, not just a central topic with branches.
- web
- A simple diagram of connected ideas; less formal than 'spidergram' and used in some classrooms.
Word family
- spidergram noun
- The singular form of the same diagram.
Commonly confused: spidergrams or spider diagram?
spidergrams vs spider diagram
A common alternative name for the same thing; 'spidergram' is a shortened, school-friendly term.
Practice
What is a spidergram mainly used for?
Choose one answer.
A spidergram puts a main idea in the center and branches out to related ideas, so it is a planning and organizing tool. The other options describe different study tasks.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “spidergrams”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.