jumping spider

American  

noun

1. any of several small, hairy spiders, of the family Salticidae, that stalk and jump upon their prey instead of snaring it in a web.

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jumping spider British  

noun

1. any spider of the family Salticidae, esp Attulus saltator, that catch their prey by hunting and can jump considerable distances

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Etymology

Origin of jumping spider

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

The second season, which premieres Tuesday, is called “Lost in the Jungle,” and it follows the journeys of an opossum, an iguana and a jumping spider in the Central American rainforest.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2025

A rare species of spider known as the "distinguished jumping spider" was found in the area, which was given environmental protections to restrict building.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2025

Take the jumping spider Evarcha culicivora, which does not directly feed on blood.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2024

The specimen in the Colombian copal appears to be a jumping spider.

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2024

It ate gnats, flies, and once a little jumping spider, S. pulex, which we were keeping in the same box, leaping upon its prey, as noted by Hentz, like an Attus.

From A Book of Natural History Young Folks' Library Volume XIV. by Jordan, David Starr