DEFINITIONS
The
2019 WORD
OF THE YEAR is...

arthropod

[ ahr-thruh-pod ]
/ ˈɑr θrəˌpɒd /

noun

any invertebrate of the phylum Arthropoda, having a segmented body, jointed limbs, and usually a chitinous shell that undergoes moltings, including the insects, spiders and other arachnids, crustaceans, and myriapods.

adjective

Also ar·throp·o·dal [ahr-throp-uh-dl] /ɑrˈθrɒp ə dl/, ar·throp·o·dan [ahr-throp-uh-dn] /ɑrˈθrɒp ə dn/, ar·throp·o·dous [ahr-throp-uh-duh s] /ɑrˈθrɒp ə dəs/. belonging or pertaining to the Arthropoda.

Content related to arthropod

What Is The Difference Between A Bug And An Insect?We tend to use the word bug loosely for any very small creature with legs. However, a true bug is defined as belonging to the order Hemiptera. These creatures characteristically have tough forewings and lack teeth, such as beetles. True bugs have a stylet (a mouth shaped like a straw) that they use to suck juices from plants. Insects belong to the class Insecta and they are characterized by three-part bodies, usually two pairs of wings, and …
READ MORE
A Bug’s Life: Where Insects Get Their NamesWith Spring officially upon us, there's no better time to discuss one of our favorite topics: bugs.
READ MORE

Words related to arthropod

tick, vermin, pest, mite, bee, butterfly, gnat, dragonfly, moth, grasshopper, spider, cockroach, termite, ant, mosquito, beetle, flea, aphid, ladybug, fly

Words nearby arthropod

arthrometer, arthrometry, arthropathy, arthrophyma, arthroplasty, arthropod, arthropoda, arthropodiasis, arthropods, arthropyosis, arthrosclerosis

Origin of arthropod

1875–80; < New Latin Arthropoda; see arthro-, -pod
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for arthropods

British Dictionary definitions for arthropods

arthropod
/ (ˈɑːθrəˌpɒd) /

noun

any invertebrate of the phylum Arthropoda, having jointed limbs, a segmented body, and an exoskeleton made of chitin. The group includes the crustaceans, insects, arachnids, and centipedes

Derived forms of arthropod

arthropodous (ɑːˈθrɒpədəs) or arthropodal, adjective

Word Origin for arthropod

C19 from NL, from Gk arthron joint + podus footed, from pous foot
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for arthropods

arthropod
[ är′thrə-pŏd′ ]

n.

Any of numerous invertebrate animals of the phylum Arthropoda, including insects, crustaceans, arachnids, and myriapods.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for arthropods

arthropod
[ är′thrə-pŏd′ ]

Any of numerous invertebrate animals of the phylum Arthopoda, characterized by an exoskeleton made of chitin and a segmented body with pairs of jointed appendages. Arthropods share many features with annelids and may have evolved from them in the Precambrian Era. Arthropods include the insects, crustaceans, arachnids, myriapods, and extinct trilobites, and are the largest phylum in the animal kingdom.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for arthropods

arthropods
[ (ahr-thruh-podz) ]

A phylum, or major division of the animal kingdom. Arthropods are animals with jointed legs and segmented bodies, such as insects, spiders, centipedes, and crustaceans. There are more species of arthropods than of any other animal phylum.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.