arthropod

noun

ar·​thro·​pod ˈär-thrə-ˌpäd How to pronounce arthropod (audio)
: any of a phylum (Arthropoda) of invertebrate animals (such as insects, arachnids, and crustaceans) that have a segmented body and jointed appendages, a usually chitinous exoskeleton molted at intervals, and a dorsal anterior brain connected to a ventral chain of ganglia
arthropod adjective
arthropodan adjective

Examples of arthropod in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In terms of sheer number of species, mollusks are second only to arthropods (the group that contains insects, spiders and crustaceans). Kate Golembiewski, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025 The deep-water species belongs to a group of animals known as arthropods—an incredibly diverse group of invertebrates with jointed limbs and a hard shell known as an exoskeleton, which includes arachnids, insects and crustaceans, as well as extinct animals like trilobites. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024 The manner of death remains a mystery, but arthropod remnants in its hair indicate that its carcass spent time in a small body of fresh water. Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 17 Sep. 2024 Ancient origins of arthropod moulting pathway components iNaturalist. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 13 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for arthropod 

Word History

Etymology

from base of New Latin Arthropoda, group name, from arthro- arthro- + -poda, neuter plural of Greek -podos -pod

Note: The taxon Arthropoda, "those with jointed limbs," was introduced by the German zoologist Karl Theodor Ernst von Siebold (1804-85) in Lehrbuch der vergleichenden Anatomie, von v. Siebold und Stannius [Hermann Friedrich Stannius], Erster Teil, Wirbellose Thiere, von C. Th. v. Siebold (Berlin, 1848), p. 4. Note that the first part of the Lehrbuch was published after the second part, released in 1846, an irregularity that has resulted in Arthropoda being incorrectly dated to that year, and credited to both Stannius and von Siebold. See the discussion in Thomas A. Hegna, et al., "The correct authorship of the taxon name 'Arthropoda'," Arthropod Systematics and Phylogeny, vol. 71, no. 2 (November 19, 2013), pp. 71-74.

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arthropod was in 1857

Dictionary Entries Near arthropod

Cite this Entry

“Arthropod.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arthropod. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

arthropod

noun
ar·​thro·​pod ˈär-thrə-ˌpäd How to pronounce arthropod (audio)
: any of a phylum of invertebrate animals (as insects, arachnids, and crustaceans) having a segmented body, jointed limbs, and a shell of chitin that is shed periodically
arthropod adjective

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