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.
Another is Inspector Hamid, a much-feared police chief nicknamed the Scorpion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Scorpion stings are an often overlooked public health problem, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions.
From Science Daily • Feb. 18, 2026
In 2022, Scorpion Capital released a 183-page critique, and in March of last year, Kerrisdale Capital Management wrote that IonQ delivered “limited, error-prone systems.”
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
It was the "perfect ball", Higuita recalls in his Netflix documentary 'Higuita: The Way of the Scorpion'.
From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025
One by one, I passed them out of the truck and down to Scorpion.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
