Main Entry: Ar·throp·o·da

Pronunciation: \är-ˈthräp-əd-ə\

Function: noun plural

: a phylum of invertebrate animals (as insects, arachnids, and crustaceans) having a segmented body and jointed appendages, usually a shell of chitin molted at intervals, and an anterior brain dorsal to the alimentary canal and connected with a ventral chain of ganglia

—ar·thro·pod \ˈär-thrə-ˌpäd\ adjective or noun

—ar·throp·o·dan \är-ˈthräp-əd-ən\ adjective