arthropod

Etymology

From New Latin Arthropoda, from Ancient Greek ἄρθρον (árthron, “joint”) + πούς (poús, “foot”), equivalent to arthro- +‎ -pod.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑːθɹəpɒd/

• Audio (US):

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Noun

arthropod (plural arthropods or arthropodae)

1. An invertebrate animal of the phylum Arthropoda, characterized by a chitinous exoskeleton and multiple jointed appendages.

   Hypernym: critter

   Hyponyms: insect, arachnid; bug, spider

   • 2012, Caspar Henderson, The Book of Barely Imagined Beings, page 107:

     In at least one other arthropod, the Stalk-eyed fly, it is the sheer length of the stalks themselves, which can be longer than the animal's body, which make the male attractive to females.

   • 2012, John L. Cloudsley-Thompson, Evolution and Adaptation of Terrestrial Arthropods, page 85:

     The arthropods of the forest biome can be divided into two ecological groups: the cryptozoic inhabitants of the soil and leaf litter, and the terrestrial and arboreal forms that live in more exposed localities.