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variants:
or trap-door spider
plural trapdoor spiders or trap-door spiders
Definition of trapdoor spider
: 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 and Joyce Wolkomir Tarantulas, trap-door spiders, and some other species still use their silk mainly for shelter …— Richard Conniff
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Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
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The first known use of trapdoor spider was in 1826
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