noun
tarantula
tuh-RAN-chuu-luh
noun
1
A large, hairy spider found mainly in the tropics and warmer regions of the Americas.
"The zoo's reptile house kept a tarantula in a glass tank."
How to Use Tarantula
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA big, hairy spider, often kept as an exotic pet despite its intimidating look.
Word Forms
tarantulas plural, tarantulae plural
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Etymology
From Old Italian tarantola, named after Taranto in southern Italy, where a species of wolf spider was once believed — wrongly — to cause a frenzied urge to dance when it bit someone.