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tarantula
(tə ran′c̸ho̵o lə)
noun pl. tarantulas or tarantulae
- a wolf spider (Lycosa tarentula) of S Europe, whose bite was popularly but wrongly supposed to cause tarantism
- any of numerous large, hairy spiders with a poisonous bite that usually has little effect on warmblooded animals; specif., any of a family (Theraphosidae) found in the SW U.S. and tropical America
Origin: ML < It tarantola < Taranto, near which the wolf spider was found
See tarantula in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun pl. ta·ran·tu·las or tarantu·lae (-lēˌ)
- Any of various large, hairy, chiefly tropical spiders of the family Theraphosidae, capable of inflicting a painful but not seriously poisonous bite.
- A large wolf spider (Lycosa tarentula) of southern Europe, once thought to cause tarantism.
Origin:
Origin: Medieval Latin
Origin: , from Old Italian tarantola
Origin: , after Taranto
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