noun
centipede
SEHN-tih-peed
Centipede (noun) means a small, many-legged arthropod with a long, segmented body and one pair of legs per segment. Example: “A centipede scurried out from under the log.”
noun
1
A small, many-legged arthropod with a long, segmented body and one pair of legs per segment.
"The existence of millipedes, centipedes, insects, and spiders along-side the first tetrapods sustained a robust ecosystem in which most animals were predators or scavengers."
— Thom Holmes, March Onto Land: The Silurian Period to the Middle Triassic Epoch (2008)
"All centipedes (Chilopoda) and spiders (Aranea) are predatory and although they are often found on corpses their impact on the other fauna is not known."
— Alan Gunn, Essential Forensic Biology (2011)
"A centipede scurried out from under the log."
How to use centipede
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA crawling, multi-legged bug with a long segmented body.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with a millipede, which has two pairs of legs per segment and moves more slowly.
Easily confused with
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Word forms
- Plural
- centipedes
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
A _____ scurried out from under the log.
Etymology
From Latin centi- ("hundred") + pes/pedis ("foot") — literally "hundred-footed", though real centipedes rarely have exactly a hundred legs.
Rhymes for centipede
See all rhymes for centipede →Frequently asked questions
What does “centipede” mean?
The word “centipede” means a small, many-legged arthropod with a long, segmented body and one pair of legs per segment. In plain terms, a crawling, multi-legged bug with a long segmented body.
How do you pronounce “centipede”?
“Centipede” is pronounced SEHN-tih-peed (/ˈsɛn.tɪ.pid/ in IPA).
How do you use “centipede” in a sentence?
Here is “centipede” used in a sentence: “A centipede scurried out from under the log.”
What part of speech is “centipede”?
“Centipede” is a noun.
Where does the word “centipede” come from?
The word “centipede” comes from Latin. From Latin centi- ("hundred") + pes/pedis ("foot") — literally "hundred-footed", though real centipedes rarely have exactly a hundred legs.
