Spider

Definition

Spider is a noun. It refers to an arachnid with eight legs that often spins webs to capture prey. It can also refer to a type of web crawler in computing or certain types of frameworks.

Parts of Speech

• Noun

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈspaɪ.dɚ/
• Respelling: SPY-dur

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈspaɪ.də/
• Respelling: SPY-duh

Etymology

The word "spider" originates from Old English "spīþra," related to "spinnan," meaning "to spin," referring to its web-spinning abilities.

Derivatives

• Spiderweb (noun)
• Spiderling (noun)
• Spiderlike (adjective)
• Spiderish (adjective)
• Spidered (verb, computing, rare)

Synonyms

• Arachnid
• Web-spinner
• Crawler

Antonyms

• None

Usage

The term "spider" is used in biology, technology, and metaphorically. Examples include "A spider spins its web" (biological) and "A search engine spider indexes websites" (technological).

Related Terms

• Web: A structure spun by a spider.
• Arachnid: A class of joint-legged invertebrate animals including spiders.
• Crawler: A term for automated web-indexing software.

Detailed Definitions

Noun

• A type of arachnid: Refers to creatures with eight legs and often web-spinning capabilities.
  • Example: "The garden was filled with spiders in their webs."
• A web crawler in computing: Refers to an automated program that scans and indexes websites.
  • Example: "The search engine uses a spider to gather data."
• A type of metal framework: Refers to structures resembling a spider's legs.
  • Example: "The lamp was mounted on a spider frame."