arachnid-eating
|a-rach-nid-eat-ing|
/əˈræknɪdˌiːtɪŋ/
feeds on arachnids
Etymology
'arachnid-eating' is a Modern English compound formed from 'arachnid' and 'eating'; 'arachnid' ultimately comes from New Latin 'Arachnida', from Greek 'aráchnē' meaning 'spider', and 'eating' comes from Old English 'etan' (to eat).
'arachnid' developed from Greek 'aráchnē' → New Latin 'Arachnida' → Middle/Modern English 'arachnid'; 'eat' developed from Old English 'etan' → Middle English 'eten' → Modern English 'eat', and the gerund 'eating' formed from that verb, giving the compound 'arachnid-eating' in Modern English.
Individually the elements meant 'spider' (aráchnē) and 'to eat' (etan); combined in Modern English they form a descriptive compound meaning 'feeding on arachnids'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
(Gerund/noun) The act or habit of eating arachnids, or (less commonly) an organism that eats arachnids.
Arachnid-eating is uncommon among songbirds.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
feeding on arachnids (e.g., spiders, scorpions); that eats arachnids.
The arachnid-eating lizard caught a scorpion.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/01 12:19