arachnid

American  

[uh-rak-nid] / əˈræk nɪd /

noun

1. any wingless, carnivorous arthropod of the class Arachnida, including spiders, scorpions, mites, ticks, and daddy-longlegs, having a body divided into two parts, the cephalothorax and the abdomen, and having eight appendages and no antennae.

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adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the arachnids.

arachnid British  

/ əˈræknɪd /

noun

1. any terrestrial chelicerate arthropod of the class Arachnida, characterized by simple eyes and four pairs of legs. The group includes the spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, and harvestmen

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arachnid Scientific  

/ ə-răk′nĭd /

1. Any of various arthropods of the class Arachnida, such as spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks. Arthropods are characterized by four pairs of segmented legs and a body that is divided into two regions, the cephalothorax and the abdomen.

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Other Word Forms

• arachnidan adjective

Etymology

Origin of arachnid

1865–70; < New Latin Arachnida < Greek aráchn ( ē ) spider, spider's web + New Latin -ida -ida

Example Sentences

A map of the routes with arrows arching across the country gave the operation its arachnid moniker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

As Ms Teni offloads one arachnid that was delivered to her in a Vegemite jar, she stresses her team isn't telling Australians to go looking for the spiders and "throw themselves into danger".

From BBC • May 16, 2025

The arachnid awakening is part of a cascade of weather-dependent events, explained Lisa Gonzalez, program manager of invertebrates for L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2024

Pseudoscorpions are a highly diverse lineage of arachnid, said Poinar, an international expert in using plant and animal life forms preserved in amber to learn about the biology and ecology of the distant past.

From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2024

The woman turned arachnid, all silent, stealthy arms.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng