spider

 
Pronunciation: /ˈspʌɪdə/

noun

  • 1an eight-legged predatory arachnid with an unsegmented body consisting of a fused head and thorax and a rounded abdomen. Spiders have fangs which inject poison into their prey, and most kinds spin webs in which to capture insects.
    • Order Araneae, class Arachnida
  • used in names of similar or related arachnids, e.g. sea spider, sun spider.
  • 2an object resembling a spider, especially one having numerous or prominent legs or radiating spokes.
  • British a set of radiating elastic ties used to hold a load in place on a vehicle.
  • a long-legged rest for a billiard cue that can be placed over a ball without touching it.
  • 3another term for crawler (in the computing sense)

verb

[no object, with adverbial of direction]
  • move in a scuttling manner suggestive of a spider: a treecreeper spidered head first down the tree trunk
  • form a pattern suggestive of a spider or its web: a system of tunnels spider through the district

Derivatives

spiderish

adjective

Origin:

late Old English spīthra, from spinnan (see spin)