tarantula

noun ta·ran·tu·la \ tə-ˈran-chə-lə , -tə-lə ; -ˈranch-lə , -ˈrant- \

Updated on: 18 Mar 2018

Definition of tarantula

plural tarantulas also tarantulae play \tə-ˈran-chə-ˌlē, -tə-ˌlē; -ˈranch-ˌlē, -ˈrant-\

1 : a European wolf spider (Lycosa tarentula) popularly held to be the cause of tarantism

2 : any of various large, hairy, American spiders (family Theraphosidae) that are typically rather sluggish and capable of biting sharply though most forms are not significantly poisonous to humans

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Recent Examples of tarantula from the Web

The tarantula's fangs are nearly half an inch long, about a sixth the size of its body.

— cleve r. wootson jr., chicagotribune.com, "Australians rescued a giant spider. The rest of the world wonders why.," 12 Mar. 2018
The giant Australian tarantula only occasionally eats birds.

— cleve r. wootson jr., Washington Post, "Australians rescued a giant spider. The rest of the world wonders why.," 12 Mar. 2018
Bloomberg reports the dinner also served appetizers featuring tarantula and cockroach.

— brett molina, USA TODAY, "Jeff Bezos has eaten iguana, loves his momma, and other things we learned about the Amazon founder," 12 Mar. 2018
Such tricks of light are also used by intensely blue animals such as peacocks, Morpho butterflies and the awesome blue tarantulas discovered in Guyana last year.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Rare Yellow Cardinal Spotted at Alabama Bird Feeder," 27 Feb. 2018
Watch out for tarantulas and broken Tequila bottles.

— scott ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, "Some fine tuning to keep the Warriors’ engine humming," 22 Feb. 2018
With that in mind, the authors' ultimate conclusion is that this is one of the earliest members of the order Araneae, which includes true spiders and tarantulas.

— john wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Horrifying Fossil Shows Spider With a Scorpion Tail," 5 Feb. 2018
Although generally sweet-natured, the Chaco golden knee, like many other tarantulas, may flick irritating hairs at people when alarmed.

— chloe metzger, Marie Claire, "This Makeup Artist Uses Real Bugs on Her Face and We’re Going to Cry," 9 Jan. 2018
Webbing is a fairly new adaptation in the arachnid family, which encompasses not just spiders, but also tarantulas, scorpions, mites, and ticks.

— john wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Horrifying Fossil Shows Spider With a Scorpion Tail," 5 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tarantula.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tarantula

Medieval Latin, from Old Italian tarantola, from Taranto

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First Known Use: 1561

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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TARANTULA Defined for English Language Learners

tarantula

noun

Definition of tarantula for English Language Learners

: a large, hairy spider that lives in warm regions

TARANTULA Defined for Kids

tarantula

noun ta·ran·tu·la \ tə-ˈran-chə-lə \

Definition of tarantula for Students

: a large hairy spider of warm regions of North and South America whose bite may be painful but is usually not serious to humans except for a few South American species

Medical Dictionary

tarantula

noun ta·ran·tu·la \ tə-ˈranch-(ə-)lə , -ˈrant-ᵊl-ə \

medical Definition of tarantula

plural tarantulas also tarantulae play \-ˈran-chə-ˌlē, -ˈrant-ᵊl-ˌē\

1 : a European spider (Lycosa tarentula of the family Lycosidae) 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

Illustration of tarantula

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Spanish Central: Translation of tarantula Nglish: Translation of tarantula for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tarantula

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tarantula

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tarantula

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tarantula

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tarantula

medical Definition of tarantula

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tarantula

Definition of tarantula for English Language Learners

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Definition of tarantula for Students

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medical Definition of tarantula

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