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View synonyms for spider

spider

[ spahy-der ]

noun

  1. any of numerous predaceous arachnids of the order Araneae, most of which spin webs that serve as nests and as traps for prey.
  2. (loosely) any of various other arachnids resembling or suggesting these.
  3. any of various things resembling or suggesting a spider.
  4. a frying pan, originally one with legs or feet.
  5. a trivet or tripod, as for supporting a pot or pan on a hearth.
  6. Machinery.
    1. a part having a number of radiating spokes or arms, usually not connected at their outer ends.
    2. Also called cross. (in a universal joint) a crosslike part pivoted between the forked ends of two shafts to transmit motion between them.
  7. 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.
  8. an evil person who entraps or lures others by wiles.
  9. a device attached to a cultivator, for pulverizing the soil.


verb (used with object)

  1. Digital Technology. to digitally survey (websites), following and cataloging their links in order to index web pages for a search engine: Compare crawl 1( def 9 ).

    Her company spiders the web for cheap flights and vacation deals.

spider

/ ˈspaɪdə /

noun

  1. any predatory silk-producing arachnid of the order Araneae, having four pairs of legs and a rounded unsegmented body consisting of abdomen and cephalothorax See also wolf spider trap-door spider tarantula black widow
  2. any of various similar or related arachnids
  3. a hub fitted with radiating spokes or arms that serve to transmit power or support a load
  4. agriculture an instrument used with a cultivator to pulverize soil
  5. any implement or tool having the shape of a spider
  6. nautical a metal frame fitted at the base of a mast to which halyards are tied when not in use
  7. any part of a machine having a number of radiating spokes, tines, or arms
  8. Also calledoctopus a cluster of elastic straps fastened at a central point and used to hold a load on a car rack, motorcycle, etc
  9. billiards snooker a rest having long legs, used to raise the cue above the level of the height of the ball
  10. angling an artificial fly tied with a hackle and no wings, perhaps originally thought to imitate a spider
  11. computing a computer program that is capable of performing sophisticated recursive searches on the internet
  12. short for spider phaeton
“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


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Other Words From

  • spider·less adjective
  • spider·like adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of spider1

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

Origin of spider1

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

What the redoubled interest in leather goods means for the alternative spider silk that was the company’s original product is unclear.

The major complicating factor here is that spiders are everywhere.

You don’t realize how many spiders are in and around your house right now.

In building those homes, larvaceans remind Katija a bit of spiders.

She’s a spider expert in Norfolk, England where she works with the British Arachnological Society.

Another side of Spider-Man that might be interesting to explore in a reboot is seeing him as an adult.

He then dons a Spider-Man costume and savagely starts attacking criminals.

Then, under the bold headline “Rebooting Spider-Man,” Robinov describes a broad vision for the future of the franchise.

Another angle Robinov suggests as a possibility for Peter Parker/Spider-Man is a franchise reboot tackling Spidey as… an adult.

In it, Kraven the Hunter tracks down Spider-Man, shoots him repeatedly, and leaves him for dead, buried underground.

There were two hard formal-looking couches, with straight backs and spider legs.

Suddenly the spaniel leapt up with that feverish, spider-like activity of the toy species and began to bark.

One of the most interesting of the spider race is the “trap-door” spider which inhabits warm countries all over the earth.

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.

The tarantula, like many other members of the spider family, is an expert in the making of burrows.

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spidespider crab