Arachnid
/əˈræk.nɪd/noun
An arthropod of the class Arachnida, including spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks.
Did you know?The word recalls Arachne, the legendary weaver who challenged Athena and was transformed into a spider after her masterpiece provoked the goddess’s wrath.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀράχνη (aráchnē)
“Spider; the source of the later scientific name.”
Classical Greek
Greek
Ἀράχνη (Aráchnē)
“Arachne, the mythic mortal weaver associated with spiders.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
arachne
“A spider; a borrowing or learned adaptation of Greek ἀράχνη.”
1802
New Latin
Arachnida
“Lamarck’s zoological class name for spiders and related animals.”
19th Century
English
arachnid
“A member of the class Arachnida.”
Modern English
English
arachnid
“A spider, scorpion, mite, tick, or related eight-legged arthropod.”