Tarantula Definition

tə-rănchə-lə
tarantulae, tarantulas
noun
tarantulas
A wolf spider (Lycosa tarentula) of S Europe, whose bite was popularly but wrongly supposed to cause tarantism.
Webster's New World
Any of numerous large, hairy spiders with a poisonous bite that usually has little effect on warmblooded animals; specif., any of a family (Theraphosidae) found in the SW U.S. and tropical America.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
  • Lycosa tarentula
  • European wolf spider

Other Word Forms of Tarantula

Noun

Singular:
tarantula
Plural:
tarantulae, tarantulas

Origin of Tarantula

  • Via Medieval Latin, from Old Italian tarantola, named after Taranto, a seaport in southern Italy; from Latin Tarentum, from Ancient Greek Τάρᾱς (Tarās) Tarās; compare Modern Greek: Τάραντας (Tárantas) Tarantas; Tarantino "Tarde;" ultimately from Illyrian darandos, "oak."

    From Wiktionary

  • Medieval Latin from Old Italian tarantola after Taranto

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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