A spider is a small animal with eight legs that spins silk threads to make webs, catch food, or protect its eggs. Most spiders eat insects and are helpful in controlling pests.
From Old English *spīthra* or *spīder*, related to *spinnan* “to spin,” referring to its web-making. It is a Germanic word, like German *Spinne*.
The name *spider* is basically “spinner,” highlighting its silk-making superpower. Long before we invented 3D printers, spiders were quietly engineering complex structures out of their own bodies.
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