An archaic or dialectal word for a spider, especially in Middle English and Old English texts.
From Old English 'attercop,' combining 'atter' (poison/venom) and 'coppe' (head or top), literally meaning 'poison-head' because spiders were associated with venom.
J.R.R. Tolkien loved this word and used 'attercops' for giant spiders in The Hobbit—he was reviving a real (though archaic) English word that perfectly matched his fantasy world's creepy aesthetic.
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