tarantula
[ tuh-ran-chuh-luh ]
/ təˈræn tʃə lə /
noun, plural ta·ran·tu·las, ta·ran·tu·lae [tuh-ran-chuh-lee] /təˈræn tʃəˌli/.
any of several large, hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae, as Aphonopelma chalcodes, of the southwestern U.S., having a painful but not highly venomous bite.
any of various related spiders.
a large wolf spider, Lycosa tarantula, of southern Europe, having a bite once thought to be the cause of tarantism.
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RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
tarantass, tarantella, tarantino, tarantism, taranto, tarantula, tarantula nebula, tarapoto, tararua biscuit, tarascan, tarasco
Can be confused
tarantella tarantulaDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for tarantula
British Dictionary definitions for tarantula
tarantula
/ (təˈræntjʊlə) /
noun plural -las or -lae (-ˌliː)
any of various large hairy mostly tropical spiders of the American family Theraphosidae
a large hairy spider, Lycosa tarentula of S Europe, the bite of which was formerly thought to cause tarantism
Word Origin for tarantula
C16: from Medieval Latin, from Old Italian tarantola, from Taranto
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
Medicine definitions for tarantula
tarantula
[ tə-răn′chə-lə ]
n. pl. ta•ran•tu•las
Any of various large, hairy, chiefly tropical spiders of the family Theraphosidae, capable of inflicting a painful but not seriously poisonous bite.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.