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
The eye of a daddy longlegs, or harvestman, magnified 20 times.
—Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2017
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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
The eye of a daddy longlegs, or harvestman, magnified 20 times.
—Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Daddy longlegs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daddy%20longlegs. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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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