Spider (noun) — is an arachnid with eight legs and two body segments. There are about 48,000 species of spiders. They can be small and harmless, regular spiders living in houses, or they can be poisonous and very dangerous. Some spiders spin webs to hunt insects.
How to Pronounce “Spider”?
Audio (UK):
Audio (US):
The word consists of two parts: spy, pronounced as spai, and der. The stress falls on the second syllable.
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Examples: How to Use “Spider” in a Sentence?
Now that you know how to define “spider”, read these instances to learn about its usage.
What Are Synonyms for the Word “Spider”?
There are not a lot of words you can replace “spider” with, but if you want to make your writing more descriptive, you can choose between black widows, tarantulas, or Goliath birdeaters.
Related nouns: web silk fangs
Synonyms (contextual): arachnid
Common collocations: hairy spider poisonous spider spider bite spider family
“Spider” Word Formation and Description in Context
Learning phrases with different parts of speech will allow you to describe how a spider looks, what it is doing, and where it is now.
With adjectives: aggressive spider tiny spider giant spider web-spinning spider
With verbs: spider spins spider hides spider stalks spider jumps spider bites
With nouns (noun + noun): spider species spider thread spider venom
Idioms and Phrases with “Spider”
Some phrases with “spider” came from popular culture, while others reflect the unique nature of these creatures. Read the definition and instances to know how to use them in writing.
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Like a spider in the corner is used to describe a person or animal that is patiently waiting before acting.
My cat is like aspider in the corner when he sees me beside the fridge.
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To play spider and fly is a popular way to say that someone tricked or seduced another person to cheat on them later.
How could Sarah return to Robert when he played thespider and the fly with her? -
Spider/spidey sense is a phrase used by Spider-Man when he feels that something is wrong.
People in Glasgow will feel theirspidey -sense tingling, because 50 roads will be closed for filming. — BBC Broadcaster
Test Your Knowledge of Spider Meaning – Quiz Time!
Practice will help you broaden your understanding of the word’s ways of usage. Check whether you know what “spider” means in the following exercises:
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“Spider” Word in Other Languages
Arachne gave its name to spiders in many languages. Check how to spell “spider” in French, Spanish, and German by clicking on the sound button.
| Language | Word for “Spider” |
|---|---|
Spanish |
Araña |
French |
Araignée |
German |
Spinne |
Did You Know It? Fun Facts About “Spider”
Do spiders bring any help to people? How do they cross long distances? Where should you travel to avoid them? Keep reading to find out the answers to these questions:
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We need spiders, because they protect us against insects
The next time you see a small spider in your apartment, don’t think it is a criminal that doesn’t pay any rent for staying. It actually eats flies, mosquitoes, and other insects and pests, providing comfort. (Even though that is not its intention.) -
Spiders can travel similarly to what we saw in Spider-Man
It is called ballooning travelling. Spiders spin threads and send them into the air, and then the wind catches them and carries the spiders miles away from their starting point. No traffic jams, only pure bliss of flight. -
There are only a few places where you won’t encounter any spiders
Looking for places to travel without any spiders, you will have limited options, because they are found in every popular tourist destination. However, in Antarctica, on top of the highest mountains, and in oceans, the chance of meeting them is much lower. -
Hogwarts Legacy has a cool feature for those who are afraid of spiders
If you want to play the game, but you don’t like fighting against big spiders, developers added a feature that allows you to put roller skates on every spider to turn fear into laughter.
Famous Quotes Featuring “Spider”
The meaning of “spider” allows authors to portray characters that instantly cause emotions in people. Read these quotes from literature, maybe you heard or read them in your native language before:
— Steven Strogatz
Explanation: For many students, math evokes bad memories about exams, confusing formulas, and rules, which are as frightening as an encounter with a spider. Is it the same for you?
— Rick Riordan, The Mark of Athena
Explanation: Arachne is the character from Greek mythology who battled with Athena in weaving skills. Athena turned Arachne into the first spider because her work was better than the goddess’s.
— J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”
Explanation: Ron Weasley had to face his biggest fear in the second part of the Harry Potter book. He is scared, but he still follows the spiders to help Harry protect young wizards.
