Main Entry:

ta·ran·tu·la

Pronunciation:

\tə-ˈran-chə-lə, -tə-lə; -ˈranch-lə, -ˈrant-\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural ta·ran·tu·las also ta·ran·tu·lae \-ˌlē\

Etymology:

Medieval Latin, from Old Italian tarantola, from Taranto

Date:

1561

1 : a European wolf spider (Lycosa tarentula) popularly held to be the cause of tarantism 2 : any of a family (Theraphosidae) of large hairy American spiders that are typically rather sluggish and capable of biting sharply though most forms are not significantly poisonous to humans