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 Wolkomir and Joyce Wolkomir

Tarantulas, trap-door spiders, and some other species still use their silk mainly for shelter …

—Richard Conniff

Illustration of trapdoor spider

• trap-door spider

Examples of trapdoor spider in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Research into a trapdoor spider species named after comedian Stephen Colbert is proving significant in a way that could one day have medical or coastal conservation applications. — Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026

Trapdoor spiders are generally not known to be harmful to humans, although individuals may react differently when bitten by a trapdoor spider, as with any spider bite, and some may experience more severe reactions. — Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025

These observations add to the limited literature on Bungulla trapdoor spiders. — Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for trapdoor spider

• subdivider
• cider
• cyder
• eider
• glider
• hider
• rider
• schneider
• slider
• snider
• stridor
• wider

Kids Definition

trap-door spider

noun

: any of various spiders that build silk-lined underground nests topped with a hinged lid