spider

/'spaidə/

Friendly

The word "spider" can refer to two main things in English. Let's break it down for a new learner.

Basic Definition

1. Spider (Animal): A spider is a small creature that belongs to a group called arachnids. It has eight legs, two poison fangs, and can spin silk. Spiders use silk to make webs or cocoons where they catch their food or lay their eggs.

2. Spider (Computer Program): In technology, a spider is a type of computer program that searches the internet for information. It collects data from different websites and adds it to a database, which can later be searched using a search engine like Google.

Usage Instructions

• When using "spider" to talk about the animal, you might say:

  • "I saw a spider in the corner of my room."

• When using "spider" in a technological context, you could say:

  • "The spider crawled through the web pages to find new data."

Examples

• Animal: "The spider spun a beautiful web in the garden."
• Computer Program: "The website's spider updates its database every hour."

Advanced Usage

• In an advanced context, you might encounter "web crawler" as a synonym for the computer spider, often used when discussing search engines and data collection on the internet.

Word Variants

• Spider-like (adjective): Describing something that resembles a spider.

  • Example: "The creature was spider-like in appearance."

• Spidery (adjective): Describing something thin and long, similar to a spider's legs.

  • Example: "She had spidery fingers."

Different Meanings

• In addition to the animal and computer program, "spider" can also refer to:
  • Spider plant: A type of houseplant known for its long, arching leaves and small plantlets.

Synonyms

• For the animal:

  • Arachnid
  • Bug (though "bug" can refer to many types of insects, not just spiders)

• For the computer program:

  • Web crawler
  • Bot

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

• There aren't many idioms specifically involving "spider," but you might hear:

  • "Caught in a web of lies": This means someone is in trouble because they have told many lies, making it hard to get out of the situation.

• Phrasal verb: "Spin a web" (to create a complex situation or story).

  • Example: "He spun a web of deceit to avoid getting caught."

Summary

So, "spider" can refer to either a small eight-legged creature or a computer program that gathers information from the internet.

Academic

Noun

1. a skillet made of cast iron
2. a computer program that prowls the internet looking for publicly accessible resources that can be added to a database; the database can then be searched with a search engine
3. predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey

Synonyms

• wanderer