The plural of centipede; small creatures with long, flat bodies divided into segments, each bearing a pair of legs.
From Latin 'centipeda' (hundred-footed), combining 'centum' (hundred) + 'pes' (foot). Carolus Linnaeus formally classified these arthropods in the 18th century, though humans had observed them for thousands of years. The name is somewhat misleading since most species have 20-30 pairs of legs, not 100.
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