Illustration of centipede
centipede
noun
cen·ti·pede
ˈsen-tə-ˌpēd 
: any of a class (Chilopoda) of long flattened many-segmented predaceous arthropods with each segment bearing one pair of legs of which the foremost pair is modified into poison fangs
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Lawns: Warm-season grasses such as St. Augustine, zoysia, centipede, Bermuda, and Bahia require about 1 inch of water if no rainfall has occurred within three weeks.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2024
Previously, scientists thought the two arthropods had a more distant relationship, but in recent years, genetic studies have shown that millipedes and centipedes were more closely related.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024
Texas redheaded centipede The venomous Texas redheaded centipede can grow up to a half-foot in length — and its bite can be very painful.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 6 June 2024
Arthropleura displays an odd mix of anatomical details found today in millipedes (order Diplopoda, characterized by having two pairs of jointed legs on most segments and a worm-like body and head) and centipedes (Chilopoda, with only one pair of legs per segment and a flattened body).
—David Bressan, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
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Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2024
Previously, scientists thought the two arthropods had a more distant relationship, but in recent years, genetic studies have shown that millipedes and centipedes were more closely related.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024
Texas redheaded centipede The venomous Texas redheaded centipede can grow up to a half-foot in length — and its bite can be very painful.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 6 June 2024
Arthropleura displays an odd mix of anatomical details found today in millipedes (order Diplopoda, characterized by having two pairs of jointed legs on most segments and a worm-like body and head) and centipedes (Chilopoda, with only one pair of legs per segment and a flattened body).
—David Bressan, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for centipede
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Cite this Entry
“Centipede.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/centipede. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
centipede
noun
cen·ti·pede
ˈsent-ə-ˌpēd
: any of a class of long flattened arthropods that have many segments with each segment having one pair of legs except for the first segment which has a pair of poison fangs compare millipede
Etymology
from Latin centipeda "centipede," from centi- "hundred" and -peda, from ped-, pes "foot" — related to pedestrian
Medical Definition
centipede
noun
cen·ti·pede
ˈsent-ə-ˌpēd
: any member of the class Chilopoda of long flattened many-segmented predaceous arthropods with each segment bearing one pair of legs of which the foremost pair is modified into poison fangs
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