harvestman
2 synonyms for harvestman, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A person, especially a man, who works to gather in the crops at harvest time.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
daddy longlegs
harvest spider
How to use harvestman
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
a harvestman's long legs
mistaken for a spider
harvestmen in the garden
working as a harvestman
The arachnid sense is the more familiar everyday meaning; the sense meaning a person who harvests crops is the original one.
Etymology
Harvestman combines harvest with the suffix -man. The arachnid sense most likely takes its name because the creature's long, thin legs resemble the sickles or scythes used at harvest time, though other explanations have been proposed.
Full origin of harvestman →Frequently asked questions
What is a harvestman?
A harvestman is most often the long-legged little arachnid also called a daddy longlegs, though the word originally meant a person who gathers the harvest.
Is a harvestman a spider?
No, a harvestman belongs to the order Opiliones and is not a true spider, even though it is often mistaken for one.
Why is the arachnid called a harvestman?
It probably gets its name because its long legs look like the sickles or scythes used to bring in a harvest.
