tarantula

American  

[tuh-ran-chuh-luh] / təˈræn tʃə lə /

noun

• tarantulas,
  plural
• tarantulae
  plural

1. any of several large, hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae, as Aphonopelma chalcodes, of the southwestern U.S., having a painful but not highly venomous bite.

2. any of various related spiders.

3. a large wolf spider, Lycosa tarantula, of southern Europe, having a bite once thought to be the cause of tarantism.

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tarantula British  

/ təˈræntjʊlə /

noun

1. any of various large hairy mostly tropical spiders of the American family Theraphosidae

2. a large hairy spider, Lycosa tarentula of S Europe, the bite of which was formerly thought to cause tarantism

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tarantulae
  plural
• tarantulas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tarantula

1555–65; < Medieval Latin < Italian tarantola. See Taranto, -ule

Compare meaning

How does tarantula compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• wolf spider vs. tarantula

Explanation

A tarantula is a hairy, poisonous, black spider. Although they are furry and some people keep them as pets, you probably don't want to cuddle up to one. Tarantulas are found primarily in subtropical South America. Their leg spans can range from three to twelve inches, which means that a very big tarantula is about as wide as a cowboy hat! While their bites are poisonous, you won't die from tarantula venom, unless the bite gets infected.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tarantula tarantulas

Cronus was roughly 11 years old when he died, which is around the average life span of a male tarantula, according to experts at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

Sir Gavin Williamson has said his pet tarantula, who once lived on his desk in the Houses of Parliament and Ministry of Defence, has died.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

Researchers have identified four previously unknown tarantula species in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, and they turned out to be far more unusual than expected.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 6, 2026

When I opened up the cover, it was a dead tarantula.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

Abina crawled after her tarantula, cursing and fussing.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

"If you go in at night, you see the eyes of the tarantulas that live inside. But once you walk down a ten-meter-long tunnel underground, you start finding the fossils."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026

While tarantulas can deliver a painful bite, they are not considered harmful to humans.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

I’m a Texan, so I’ve been around tarantulas my whole life, I knew what it was.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

In particular, he said he saw spiders like tarantulas “as a newer pet trend in the United States.”

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 11, 2026

“He just really seemed to think I was someone who would like tarantulas, I guess. He also gave me vanilla today. Yuck.”

From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling