tarantula

noun

ta·ran·tu·la | \ tə-ˈran-chə-lə

, -tə-lə; -ˈranch-lə, -ˈrant-\

plural tarantulas also tarantulae\ tə-ˈran-chə-ˌlē

, -tə-ˌlē ; -ˈranch-ˌlē , -ˈrant- \

Definition of tarantula

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

Examples of tarantula in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Like the view from underneath a hardwood tarantula. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "Why You Should Be Skirting All Your Chairs," 19 Apr. 2019 But Gofton’s ethical dilemma came in the form of a not-so-tiny spider found clinging precariously to a tree branch: a giant Australian tarantula called the bird-eating spider. — Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Washington Post, "Australians rescued a giant spider. The rest of the world wonders why.," 12 Mar. 2018 One thing Yoon did let slip was that making a meal focused on tarantulas would be phenomenally expensive. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Ars eats more bugs, finds a few we like," 30 Sep. 2018 Kids screamed in terror as a giant tarantula crawled toward a pool over the weekend — but Nicole Kidman remained calm. — Jennifer Earl, Fox News, "Nicole Kidman captures giant tarantula from pool as kids scream in horror: 'Get back, mom!'," 31 July 2018 Wolf spider Wolf spiders are usually confused with tarantulas and brown recluse spiders. — Caroline Blackmon, Detroit Free Press, "5 of Michigan's scariest-looking spiders: What to know," 25 June 2018 But Natalie herself was an outdoorsy tomboy, who frequently came home in dirty clothes and kept a pet tarantula in a jar. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Sharp Objects Episode 2 Recap: Appearances Are Everything," 16 July 2018 The frame came alive like a giant tarantula, leaving us giddy with the ease of assembly. — Melanie D.g. Kaplan, chicagotribune.com, "Camping without the hassle: New service rents you all the gear you need, plus the car," 21 May 2018 The frame came alive like a giant tarantula, leaving us giddy with the ease of assembly. — Melanie D.g. Kaplan, chicagotribune.com, "Camping without the hassle: New service rents you all the gear you need, plus the car," 21 May 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.

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Last Updated

12 May 2019

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Time Traveler for tarantula

The first known use of tarantula was in 1561

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More Definitions for tarantula

tarantula

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tarantula

: a large, hairy spider that lives in warm regions

See the full definition for tarantula in the English Language Learners Dictionary

tarantula

noun

ta·ran·tu·la | \ tə-ˈran-chə-lə

Kids Definition of tarantula

: 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

tarantula

noun

ta·ran·tu·la | \ tə-ˈranch-(ə-)lə

, -ˈrant-ᵊl-ə

plural tarantulas also tarantulae\ -ˈran-chə-ˌlē

, -ˈrant-ᵊl-ˌē

Medical Definition of tarantula

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