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

Derived Forms

• arachnidan
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of arachnid

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

Explanation

Spiders and scorpions are arachnids. It's a class of animals that also includes tiny, many-legged creatures like mites and ticks. Arachnids are arthropods, or spineless animals with segmented bodies and a shell-like covering. They have a lot in common with crustaceans, but arachnids live on land rather than in the water and don't have antennae. Many varieties of scorpion fall into this category, as well as daddy longlegs (also known as harvestmen). The most common arachnid is a spider — and the word itself derives from the Greek arakhnē, "spider or spider web."

Example Sentences

Arachnid, a computer program the hotline has used to find and report illicit imagery.

From New York Times • Dec. 22, 2019

Arachnid, a computer program the hotline has used to find and report illicit imagery.

From New York Times • Dec. 22, 2019

Single Arachnid Fathers Attract More Mates Single fatherhood isn’t easy, but for one type of arachnid, it comes with a few benefits.

From New York Times • Oct. 15, 2012

One, Yelena Belova, has become something of an archnemesis for our Arachnid Avenger.

From Seattle Times • May 4, 2010

Zeitschrift, xxxviii. pp. 25-32, 1892; Thorell, “On an apparently new Arachnid belonging to the family Cryptostemmidae,” Westv.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 3 "Apollodorus" to "Aral" by Various