brown recluse spider

noun

a small, pale-brown, venomous North American spider, Loxosceles reclusa, distinguished by a violin-shaped marking near the head, found outdoors in rock niches or indoors in drawers or dark corners: its bite may cause deep skin ulcers that are occasionally fatal.

Nearby words

brown nose, brown owl, brown paper, brown patch, brown rat, brown recluse spider, brown rice, brown rot, brown sauce, brown seaweed, brown shirt

Origin of brown recluse spider

First recorded in 1960–65

Also called fiddleback spider, violin spider.