means A mesh of knotted or woven cord, thread, or wire with open spaces between the strands, used to catch, contain, or screen things.

from From 'net,' which traces back to Old English 'net' — a fishing or fowling mesh — with cousins across the Germanic family (Old Norse 'net,' Dutch 'net,' German 'Netz'). The '-ing' is the familiar English ending that turns a thing into the material or act of it, so 'netting' is simply 'the stuff nets are made of.' The deeper root is thought to relate to ideas of knotting and binding, which is exactly what holds those famous holes together.