Harvestman
/ˈhɑːr.vɪst.mən/noun
A common name for an arachnid of the order Opiliones, or a person who gathers crops at harvest time.
Did you know?The arachnid name comes from its long legs and autumn appearance, but the word itself is simply English “harvest” + “man,” with no hidden demonology behind the term.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
hærfest
“autumn; the season of reaping crops”
Old English
OE
mann
“person; human being”
Middle English
ME
harvest man
“a person who works at harvest time”
16th-17th Century
English
harvestman
“a harvest worker; later also a name for a long-legged arachnid”
Modern English
English
harvestman
“a harvest worker or an opilionid arachnid”