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tarantula

tarantula definition

ta·ran·tula (tə ran′c̸ho̵o lə)

noun pl. tarantulas -·las or tarantulae -·lae′ (-lē′)

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

Etymology: ML < It tarantola < Taranto, near which the wolf spider was found

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
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