spider

[ spahy-der ]

/ ˈspaɪ dər /

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noun

any of numerous predaceous arachnids of the order Araneae, most of which spin webs that serve as nests and as traps for prey.

(loosely) any of various other arachnids resembling or suggesting these.

any of various things resembling or suggesting a spider.

a frying pan, originally one with legs or feet.

a trivet or tripod, as for supporting a pot or pan on a hearth.

Machinery.

a part having a number of radiating spokes or arms, usually not connected at their outer ends.
Also called cross. (in a universal joint) a crosslike part pivoted between the forked ends of two shafts to transmit motion between them.

Digital Technology. a computer program that follows and catalogs links within websites in order to index web pages for a search engine.Compare web crawler.

an evil person who entraps or lures others by wiles.

a device attached to a cultivator, for pulverizing the soil.

verb (used with object)

Digital Technology. to digitally survey (websites), following and cataloging their links in order to index web pages for a search engine: Her company spiders the web for cheap flights and vacation deals.Compare crawl¹ (def. 9).

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Origin of spider

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English spithre, Old English spīthra, akin to spinnan “to spin”; cognate with Danish spinder. See spin

OTHER WORDS FROM spider

spi·der·less, adjectivespi·der·like, adjective

Words nearby spider

spiculation, spicule, spiculum, spicy, spide, spider, spider-burst, spider crab, spider fly, spider hole, spiderhunter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for spider

What the redoubled interest in leather goods means for the alternative spider silk that was the company’s original product is unclear.
Bolt Threads partners with Adidas, owners of Balenciaga and Gucci, and Stella McCartney on mushroom leather|Jonathan Shieber|October 2, 2020|TechCrunch
You don’t realize how many spiders are in and around your house right now.
Your car is probably full of spiders|PopSci Staff|September 2, 2020|Popular Science
The major complicating factor here is that spiders are everywhere.
Your car is probably full of spiders|PopSci Staff|September 2, 2020|Popular Science
In building those homes, larvaceans remind Katija a bit of spiders.
Larvaceans’ underwater ‘snot palaces’ boast elaborate plumbing|Susan Milius|June 15, 2020|Science News

She’s a spider expert in Norfolk, England where she works with the British Arachnological Society.
Why you’re spotting more wildlife during COVID-19|Bethany Brookshire|June 8, 2020|Science News For Students
Another side of Spider-Man that might be interesting to explore in a reboot is seeing him as an adult.
Exclusive: Sony Hack Reveals Studio's Detailed Plans For Another ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot|William Boot|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He then dons a Spider-Man costume and savagely starts attacking criminals.
Exclusive: Sony Hack Reveals Studio's Detailed Plans For Another ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot|William Boot|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then, under the bold headline “Rebooting Spider-Man,” Robinov describes a broad vision for the future of the franchise.
Exclusive: Sony Hack Reveals Studio's Detailed Plans For Another ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot|William Boot|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Another angle Robinov suggests as a possibility for Peter Parker/Spider-Man is a franchise reboot tackling Spidey as… an adult.
Exclusive: Sony Hack Reveals Studio's Detailed Plans For Another ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot|William Boot|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In it, Kraven the Hunter tracks down Spider-Man, shoots him repeatedly, and leaves him for dead, buried underground.
Exclusive: Sony Hack Reveals Studio's Detailed Plans For Another ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot|William Boot|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There were two hard formal-looking couches, with straight backs and spider legs.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Suddenly the spaniel leapt up with that feverish, spider-like activity of the toy species and began to bark.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
One of the most interesting of the spider race is the “trap-door” spider which inhabits warm countries all over the earth.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
The touch of the soft fabric reassured him: it was as soft as though woven of spider's web, and strong as fibres of steel.
Astounding Stories, May, 1931|Various
The tarantula, like many other members of the spider family, is an expert in the making of burrows.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various

British Dictionary definitions for spider

spider

/ (ˈspaɪdə) /

noun

any predatory silk-producing arachnid of the order Araneae, having four pairs of legs and a rounded unsegmented body consisting of abdomen and cephalothoraxSee also wolf spider, trap-door spider, tarantula, black widow

any of various similar or related arachnids

a hub fitted with radiating spokes or arms that serve to transmit power or support a load

agriculture an instrument used with a cultivator to pulverize soil

any implement or tool having the shape of a spider

nautical a metal frame fitted at the base of a mast to which halyards are tied when not in use

any part of a machine having a number of radiating spokes, tines, or arms

Also called: octopus British a cluster of elastic straps fastened at a central point and used to hold a load on a car rack, motorcycle, etc

billiards snooker a rest having long legs, used to raise the cue above the level of the height of the ball

angling an artificial fly tied with a hackle and no wings, perhaps originally thought to imitate a spider

computing a computer program that is capable of performing sophisticated recursive searches on the internet

short for spider phaeton

Word Origin for spider

Old English spīthra; related to Danish spinder, German Spinne; see spin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for spider

spider

[ spī′dər ]

n.

Any of numerous arachnids of the order Araneae, having a body divided into a cephalothorax bearing eight legs, two poison fangs, and two feelers and an unsegmented abdomen bearing several spinnerets that produce the silk used to make nests, cocoons, or webs for trapping insects.

An arterial spider.

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spider

noun

verb (used with object)

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Origin of spider

OTHER WORDS FROM spider

Words nearby spider

Example sentences from the Web for spider

British Dictionary definitions for spider

noun

Word Origin for spider

Medical definitions for spider

n.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

spider

noun

verb (used with object)

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Origin of spider

OTHER WORDS FROM spider

Words nearby spider

Content related to spider

Words related to spider

Example sentences from the Web for spider

British Dictionary definitions for spider

noun

Word Origin for spider

Medical definitions for spider

n.