centipede
Americannoun
noun
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Any of various flattened, wormlike arthropods of the class Chilopoda, whose bodies are divided into many segments, each with one pair of legs. The front legs are modified into venomous pincers used to catch prey.
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Compare millipede
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of centipede
From the Latin word centipeda, dating back to 1595–1605. See centi-, -pede
Compare meaning
How does centipede compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A centipede is a poisonous bug with many tiny legs. If you can bring yourself to look closely at a centipede, you'll see its body is divided into segments, each having one pair of legs. Most people assume that centipedes are insects, but they're actually arthropods, tiny invertebrate animals with exoskeletons and segmented bodies — and a seriously squicky number of legs. The profusion of little legs is what gives the centipede its name; the Latin is centipeda, "many-footed arthropod," from centum, "hundred," and pedis, "foot." Despite their name, centipedes can have anywhere from 30 to over 300 legs.
Vocabulary lists containing centipede
Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: cent
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cent (hundred), mill (thousand)
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ped, pod (foot)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
During one observation, a centipede preyed on the distracted isopods while they remained caught in the swirling formation.
From Science Daily • Jul. 6, 2026
A centipede captures their attention - and they're surprised by the number of different types of insects lurking in an urban park.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026
Since replacing windows can cost enough arms and legs to make a human centipede, it’s worth looking into adding interior insulating layers to your existing windows.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
The mamma centipede may have a face like a David Cronenberg nightmare, but she's a devoted parent, curling around the wriggly bits of multi-legged spaghetti she calls her offspring to protect them.
From Salon • May 11, 2025
My old heart started turning somersaults; and something that felt like a thousand-legged centipede jiggled its way up my spine.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
