arachnid
- noun
- /əˈræk.nɪd/
- Spiders, scorpions, and ticks are all examples of arachnids, which have eight legs.
- spiders are arachnids
- Ticks are arachnids
- arachnids (spiders and scorpions
Examples
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Arachnids have been roaming the Earth for millions of years.
Fiction book (2002) -
Arachnids eat by injecting their prey with either a necrotic factor, a neurotoxin, or both.
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The largest arachnid in Australia!
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An arachnid is... a spider.
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This agile arachnid can lay 1,000 eggs at a time and can jump 50 feet into the air!
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How often does one get bitten by a poisonous arachnid?
Fiction book (1993) -
My book on arachnids.
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The arachnid crawled quickly along the wall, searching for its next meal.
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Many people are afraid of arachnids like spiders because of their creepy appearance.
Synonyms
An animal like a spider with eight legs, not an insect
How Small
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
arachnid = arachn + id
The element 'arachn-' is a non-standalone combining form and '-id' is a technical class-forming suffix, so the parts are not recognizable to an average B1 learner and do not transparently yield the meaning 'spider-like/member of the spider group'.
Etymology
Arachnid comes from the Greek name Arachne, a woman in an old story who was turned into a spider, so arachnid means 'spider-like'. That's why the word is used for animals with eight legs, such as spiders, scorpions, mites and ticks.