arachnid

American  

[uh-rak-nid] / əˈræk nɪd /

noun

1. any wingless, carnivorous arthropod of the class Arachnida, including spiders, scorpions, mites, ticks, and daddy-longlegs, having a body divided into two parts, the cephalothorax and the abdomen, and having eight appendages and no antennae.

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adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the arachnids.

arachnid British  

/ əˈræknɪd /

noun

1. any terrestrial chelicerate arthropod of the class Arachnida, characterized by simple eyes and four pairs of legs. The group includes the spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, and harvestmen

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arachnid Scientific  

/ ə-răk′nĭd /

1. Any of various arthropods of the class Arachnida, such as spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks. Arthropods are characterized by four pairs of segmented legs and a body that is divided into two regions, the cephalothorax and the abdomen.

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Other Word Forms

• arachnidan adjective

Etymology

Origin of arachnid

1865–70; < New Latin Arachnida < Greek aráchn ( ē ) spider, spider's web + New Latin -ida -ida

Example Sentences

A map of the routes with arrows arching across the country gave the operation its arachnid moniker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

Emma loves all things arachnid, and goes under various nicknames - spider girl, spider mama, even "weirdo", as her daughter calls her.

From BBC • May 16, 2025

For Waterhouse, the discovery of the arachnid wasn’t just throwaway internet fodder — it became a metaphor for her own memoir and, in turn, “Memoir of a Sparklemuffin,” due Sept. 13 on Sub Pop.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2024

The early worm gets the arachnid, fossil research by an Oregon State University scientist has shown.

From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2024

The woman turned arachnid, all silent, stealthy arms.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng