🇬🇧 en fr 🇫🇷

tarantula noun

  /təˈɹæn.t͡ʃə.lə/ , /təˈɹæn.t͡ʃʊ.lə/
  • Any of the large, hairy New World spiders comprising the family Theraphosidae.
  • (by extension) A member of certain other groups of spiders, generally characterized by large size, hairiness, or membership of infraorder Mygalomorphae to which Theraphosidae family also belongs.
  • (dated) A species of wolf spider, Lycosa tarantula, native to southern Europe, the mildly poisonous bite of which was once thought to cause an extreme urge to dance (tarantism). [from mid 16th c.]
 tarentule, mygale
Wiktionary Links