Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
cephalothorax

cephalothorax

1 9.8
The front body part in animals like spiders and crabs where the head and middle body are joined
  • noun
  • /ˌsɛfəloʊˈθɔræks/
  • Specialized
: cefalotórax
  • The spider's cephalothorax houses its eyes and mouthparts, illustrating the unique structure of arachnids.

Examples

  • She had to give with her cephalothorax too.

    Blog text (9)

  • Seriously, I'm the only guy I know who has the birthing cephalothorax to lay two dozen eggs.

    Blog text (9)

  • Cephalopod numbers were estimated based on the maximum number of superior or inferior beaks of each specimen found, while crustacean numbers were estimated by the total number of cephalothorax.

    Academic text (2018)

  • Each crab has a hard shell covering its cephalothorax, protecting vital organs and aiding in camouflage.

  • In lobsters, the cephalothorax is fused with the thorax and contains the gills and walking legs.

Surface Forms

cephalothorax singular
cephalothoraxes plural
cephalothoraces plural

Morphology

cephalothorax = cephalo + thorax (semi-transparent) = cephalo + thorax

The term is a literal combination of 'cephalo-' (head) and 'thorax' (chest), but 'cephalo-' is a technical combining form that may be unfamiliar to general learners.

Etymology

Cephalothorax comes from two ancient Greek parts: cephalo- meaning 'head' and thorax meaning 'chest'. So it literally means 'head-chest', which is why it names the fused head and thorax of animals like spiders and crabs.