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

The researchers say this trend is not slowing and suggest that groups such as plants, fungi, arachnids, fishes and amphibians are far more diverse than previously believed.

From Science Daily

These discoveries cover an astonishing sweep of life on Earth, including dinosaurs, mammals, fishes, reptiles, insects, arachnids, marine invertebrates, and even a mineral never documented before.

From Science Daily

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

From The Wall Street Journal

He’s now set to headline “Nest,” a movie about a young family whose home is invaded by deadly arachnids.

From Los Angeles Times

On three of the four walls there are floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked full of the arachnids, with a black curtain pulled across to keep them calm.

From BBC