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Synonyms

centipede

American  
[sen-tuh-peed] / ˈsɛn təˌpid /

noun

  1. any of numerous predaceous, chiefly nocturnal arthropods constituting the class Chilopoda, having an elongated, flattened body composed of from 15 to 173 segments, each with a pair of legs, the first pair being modified into poison fangs.

centipede British  
/ ˈsɛntɪˌpiːd /

noun

  1. any carnivorous arthropod of the genera Lithobius, Scutigera, etc, having a body of between 15 and 190 segments, each bearing one pair of legs: class Chilopoda See also myriapod

"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
centipede Scientific  
/ sĕn′tə-pēd′ /

  1. Any of various flattened, wormlike arthropods of the class Chilopoda, whose bodies are divided into many segments, each with one pair of legs. The front legs are modified into venomous pincers used to catch prey.

  2. Compare millipede

Other Word Forms

  • centipedal adjective

Etymology

Origin of centipede

From the Latin word centipeda, dating back to 1595–1605. See centi-, -pede

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.