any of numerous arachnids of the order Scorpionida, widely distributed in warmer parts of the world, having a long, narrow, segmented tail that terminates in a venomous sting.
Astronomy. the Scorpion, Scorpius.
any of various harmless lizards, especially the red- or orange-headed males of certain North American skinks.
Bible. a whip or scourge that has spikes attached. 1 Kings 12:11.
any arachnid of the order Scorpionida, of warm dry regions, having a segmented body with a long tail terminating in a venomous sting
any small nonvenomous arachnid of the order Pseudoscorpionida (or Chelonethida ), which superficially resemble scorpions but lack the long tail See book scorpion
any of various other similar arachnids, such as the whip scorpion, or other arthropods, such as the water scorpion
Old Testament a barbed scourge (I Kings 12:11)
history a war engine for hurling stones; ballista
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Latin scorpiōn- (stem of scorpiō ), equivalent to scorp(ius) “scorpion” (from Greek skorpíos ) + -iōn- noun suffix, perhaps after pāpiliō (stem pāpiliōn- ) “butterfly,” or stelliō (stem stelliōn- ) “gecko”
A scorpion is a fierce little predator with a curvy tail known for delivering a sharp, venomous sting. Scorpions are a tough species, having been around for about 430 million years! They are known for their venomous stingers, used both to snatch prey and scare off foes. Despite their fierce reputation, most scorpions aren’t deadly to humans, but their sting is still painful enough to make anyone want to keep their distance.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To avoid the high prices of Scotch bonnets, she also uses locally grown Moruga scorpion peppers, which are native to Trinidad.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
Grogu does a lot of it, at points gobbling a scorpion and the Star Wars version of popcorn.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
The 7th District, which looks like a scorpion, is appropriately dastardly, stretching from mountainous country in the western part of the state straight to expressways over the Potomac River into Washington D.C.
From Slate • Apr. 22, 2026
An international team of researchers has developed a method to identify and forecast hotspots for some of the most dangerous scorpion species on Earth.
From Science Daily • Feb. 18, 2026
He thrust his hand against the glowing scorpion before he could change his mind.
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
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.
