chelicerate

/ kɪˈlɪsəˌreɪt /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Chelicerata, a subphylum of arthropods, including arachnids and the horseshoe crab, in which the first pair of limbs are modified as chelicerae

noun

1. any arthropod belonging to the Chelicerata

chelicerate

/ kə-lĭs′ər-āt′,-ĭt /

1. Any of various, mostly terrestrial arthropods of the subphylum Chelicerata, having a body divided into two main parts: a cephalothorax and an abdomen. Chelicerates have specialized feeding appendages (chelicerae) and lack antennae. Chelicerates include the arachnids and merostomes (horseshoe crabs) and are closely related to the extinct trilobites.