tarantula

[ tuh-ran-chuh-luh ]
/ təˈræn tʃə lə /

noun, plural ta·ran·tu·las, ta·ran·tu·lae [tuh-ran-chuh-lee] /təˈræn tʃəˌli/.

any of several large, hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae, as Aphonopelma chalcodes, of the southwestern U.S., having a painful but not highly venomous bite.
any of various related spiders.
a large wolf spider, Lycosa tarantula, of southern Europe, having a bite once thought to be the cause of tarantism.

Origin of tarantula

1555–65; < Medieval Latin < Italian tarantola. See Taranto, -ule

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tarantula

tarantella tarantula

Example sentences from the Web for tarantula

British Dictionary definitions for tarantula

tarantula
/ (təˈræntjʊlə) /

noun plural -las or -lae (-ˌliː)

any of various large hairy mostly tropical spiders of the American family Theraphosidae
a large hairy spider, Lycosa tarentula of S Europe, the bite of which was formerly thought to cause tarantism

Word Origin for tarantula

C16: from Medieval Latin, from Old Italian tarantola, from Taranto

Medical definitions for tarantula

tarantula
[ tə-rănchə-lə ]

n. pl. ta•ran•tu•las

Any of various large, hairy, chiefly tropical spiders of the family Theraphosidae, capable of inflicting a painful but not seriously poisonous bite.