Who Do You Spell Tarantula?

noun, plural ta·ran·tu·las, ta·ran·tu·lae [tuh-ran-chuh-lee]. any of several large, hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae, as Aphonopelma chalcodes, of the southwestern U.S., having a painful but not highly venomous bite.

What is the meaning of tarantulas in English?

A tarantula is a large hairy spider which has a poisonous bite. COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary.

What is the origin of the word tarantula?

The name tarantula was originally given to the wolf spider, Lycosa tarentula, of southern Europe and was derived from the town of Taranto, Italy. The bite of L. tarentula was once thought to cause a disease known as tarantism, in which the victim wept and skipped about before going into a wild dance (see tarantella).