A class of arthropods that includes centipedes, characterized by having many legs and elongated bodies.
From Greek 'chilo-' meaning 'lip' and '-pod' meaning 'foot', referring to the maxillipeds or mouth parts that look like legs. The term was coined in the 19th century when scientists classified arthropods by their leg structure.
Centipedes aren't actually insects—they're in their own ancient class that's been around for over 400 million years! The name 'chilopods' literally means 'lip-feet' because their first pair of legs evolved into venomous fangs near their mouth.
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