• (RP) IPA: /tə.ˈɹæn.t͡ʃʊ.lə/
• (GA) IPA: /tə.ˈɹæn.t͡ʃə.lə/

tarantula (plural tarantulas)

1. Any of the large, hairy New World spiders comprising the family Theraphosidae.

   Synonyms: bird spider, monkey spider, rain spider

2. (by extension) A member of certain other group#Noun|groups of spiders, generally characterized by large size#Noun|size, hairiness, or membership of infraorder Mygalomorphae to which Theraphosidae family also belongs.
3. (dated) A species of wolf spider, Lycosa tarantula, native#Adjective|native to southern Europe, the mildly poisonous bite#Noun|bite of which was once think#Verb|thought to cause an extreme urge#Noun|urge to dance#Verb|dance (tarantism). [from mid 16th c.]
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “An Heape of Other Accidents Causing Melancholy. Death of Friends, Losses, &c.”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970 ↗, partition 1, section 2, member 4, subsection 7, page 151 ↗:

     Many men catch this malady [i.e., melancholy] by [...] ſtinging with that kind of ſpider called Tarantula; [...] Their ſymptomes are merrily deſcribed by Iovianus Pontanus. Ant. dial. how they daunce alogether, and are cured by Muſick.

• tarantella
• tarantism

• French: tarentule, mygale
• German: Vogelspinne
• Italian: tarantola
• Portuguese: tarântula
• Russian: пау́к-птицее́д
• Spanish: tarántula

• French: tarentule, mygale
• German: Tarantel
• Italian: tarantola
• Portuguese: aranha-lobo
• Russian: тара́нтул
• Spanish: tarántula