tarantula
Americannoun
-
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.
-
any of various related spiders.
-
a large wolf spider, Lycosa tarantula, of southern Europe, having a bite once thought to be the cause of tarantism.
noun
-
any of various large hairy mostly tropical spiders of the American family Theraphosidae
-
a large hairy spider, Lycosa tarentula of S Europe, the bite of which was formerly thought to cause tarantism
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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:
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.
Vocabulary lists containing tarantula
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for September 10–September 16, 2022
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Egypt Game
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tarantula hawks are pollinators, sampling nectar from flowering plants, but when it’s time to raise their young, the females of the species take on a different demeanor.
From Scientific American • Sep. 29, 2023
The Tarantula Nebula can be found roughly 161,000 light-years away from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
From Salon • Dec. 26, 2022
This month, La Junta, population 6,900, held its first annual Tarantula Fest, which featured music, a beer garden, a parade, an eight-legged race and expert-guided tarantula tours in the grasslands.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2022
The heart of the series is its charismatic gang of “bad guys” striving to be heroes — Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark and Ms. Tarantula — but failing hilariously time and again.
From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2022
It was not known in the time of our fore-fathers, but now it is very common in Apulia ... and is generally called Tarantula.
From The Naples Riviera by Vaughan, Herbert M. (Herbert Millingchamp)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
