Illustration of trapdoor spider
- trap-door spider
trapdoor spider
noun
variants
or trap-door spider
plural trapdoor spiders or trap-door spiders
: any of various often large burrowing mygalomorph spiders (especially family Ctenizidae) that construct a tubular subterranean silk-lined nest topped with a hinged lid
Trapdoor spiders dig burrows using a spiny rake mounted on their jaws, then line the burrow and the opening with silk.—
Richard and Joyce Wolkomir
Richard and Joyce WolkomirTarantulas, trap-door spiders, and some other species still use their silk mainly for shelter …—Richard Conniff
Richard Conniff
Examples of trapdoor spider in a Sentence
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These observations add to the limited literature on Bungulla trapdoor spiders.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
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Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trapdoor spider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trapdoor%20spider. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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