daddy longlegs
noun
dad·dy long·legs
ˌda-dē-ˈlȯŋ-ˌlegz 
-ˌlāgz
plural daddy longlegs
1
chiefly British
: crane fly
2
: any of an order (Opiliones) of arachnids that have slender usually long legs and that resemble spiders but have an oval body lacking a constriction
called also harvestman
Examples of daddy longlegs in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The team also discovered that another daddy longlegs species, Iporangaia pustulosa, has vestigial eyes as well, but only on the sides of its head.
—
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024
What seems to be the entirety of the tent is covered in daddy longlegs crawling across the screen.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 1 Nov. 2023
These critters come in different shapes and sizes, with limbs of variable lengths (there’s a short, squatty one that can gnaw through wooden doors and a far taller variation that climbs walls and moves like a daddy longlegs).
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Sep. 2023
Her Dior tooth accessory, face gems, and glittery skin may not be very spidery, but those super-skinny brows could arguably be a tribute to daddy longlegs.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 12 Sep. 2023
Don’t kill daddy longlegs.
—Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2020
Unlike real arachnids, daddy longlegs only have one set of eyes.
—Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2017
The leg design of SCAMP is reminiscent of many climbing insects, from daddy longlegs to the praying mantis, and that’s no accident.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Mar. 2016
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Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024
What seems to be the entirety of the tent is covered in daddy longlegs crawling across the screen.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 1 Nov. 2023
These critters come in different shapes and sizes, with limbs of variable lengths (there’s a short, squatty one that can gnaw through wooden doors and a far taller variation that climbs walls and moves like a daddy longlegs).
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Sep. 2023
Her Dior tooth accessory, face gems, and glittery skin may not be very spidery, but those super-skinny brows could arguably be a tribute to daddy longlegs.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 12 Sep. 2023
Don’t kill daddy longlegs.
—Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2020
Unlike real arachnids, daddy longlegs only have one set of eyes.
—Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2017
The leg design of SCAMP is reminiscent of many climbing insects, from daddy longlegs to the praying mantis, and that’s no accident.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Mar. 2016
Cite this Entry
“Daddy longlegs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daddy%20longlegs. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
daddy longlegs
noun
dad·dy long·legs
ˌdad-ē-ˈlȯŋ-ˌlegz
1
2
: any of various invertebrates that are arachnids which resemble true spiders but have a small rounded body and very long slender legs
called also harvestman
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