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arthropod

[ahr-thruh-pod]
See more synonyms for arthropod on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. 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.
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adjective
  1. 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.
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Origin of arthropod

1875–80; < New Latin Arthropoda; see arthro-, -pod
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

tickverminpestmitebeebutterflygnatdragonflymothgrasshopperspidercockroachtermiteantmosquitobeetlefleaaphidladybugfly

Examples from the Web for arthropods

Historical Examples

  • He thought he could find fifteen segments in all Arthropods.

    Form and Function

    E. S. (Edward Stuart) Russell

  • The arthropods in general were provided with a carapace; most of them were crustaceans.

    Creative Evolution

    Henri Bergson

  • He concludes, therefore, that the cephalaspids were arthropods, and not vertebrates.

    The Origin of Vertebrates

    Walter Holbrook Gaskell

  • Ectoparasites and other arthropods occurring in Texas bat caves.

  • The Arthropods are animals of a high degree of organization.

British Dictionary definitions for arthropods

arthropod

noun
  1. 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
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Derived Formsarthropodous (ɑːˈθrɒpədəs) or arthropodal, adjective

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for arthropods

arthropod

n.

1877, from Modern Latin Arthropoda, literally "those with jointed feet," biological classification of the phylum of segmented, legged invertebrates; see Arthropoda.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
arthropods in Medicine

arthropod

(är′thrə-pŏd′)
n.
  1. Any of numerous invertebrate animals of the phylum Arthropoda, including insects, crustaceans, arachnids, and myriapods.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
arthropods in Science

arthropod

[är′thrə-pŏd′]
  1. 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.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
arthropods in Culture

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.

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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.