A group or category of animals that lack feet or legs, used in biological classification.
From Greek 'apous' meaning 'without feet,' from 'a-' (without) + 'pous' (foot). The term was used historically in zoology before modern taxonomy.
Before scientists had microscopes and genetic testing, they classified creatures largely by what they could see—so legless things got grouped together, from snakes to fish, even though they're barely related. It's a reminder that our earliest scientific names sometimes reflect how things look rather than what they actually are.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.