Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of arthropod: A centipede is a predatory invertebrate animal with a long, flattened body composed of many segments. Each body segment typically bears one pair of legs. The first pair of legs is modified into venomous claws (forcipules) used for capturing prey.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • I found a centipede under the rock in the garden.
  • Centipedes are fast-moving hunters that feed on insects.

Advanced Usage

• "Like a centipede": Used metaphorically to describe something with many moving parts or legs, often implying complex coordination.
  • The factory's new packaging machine moved like a centipede, with dozens of arms working in unison.

Variants and Related Words

• Chilopod (n): The scientific class name for centipedes (Class Chilopoda).
• Arthropod (n): The larger phylum (Arthropoda) to which centipedes belong, including insects, spiders, and crustaceans.

Synonyms

• Chilopod (scientific synonym)
• Hundred-legger (informal, though the number of legs is never exactly 100)

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Not typically applicable for this noun)

Related Idioms

• "To have centipedes in one's pockets": An obscure, non-standard idiom sometimes used humorously to suggest someone is very thrifty or unwilling to spend money, implying they would even save centipedes. (Note: This is not a common idiom in standard English.)

Noun

1. chiefly nocturnal predacious arthropod having a flattened body of 15 to 173 segments each with a pair of legs, the foremost pair being modified as prehensors