Chilopoda

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of arthropods known as centipedes, characterized by their elongated bodies, numerous segments, and two pairs of legs per body segment
2. An extensive group of myriapods, typically having a flattened body and one pair of legs for each body segment, which adapt them for predation
3. An order within the subphylum Myriapoda, often possessing venomous claws and found in various terrestrial habitats, contributing to the ecosystem as predators

Etymology: Chilopoda is the scientific name for the centipedes, and its parts are Greek. "Chilo-" comes from "cheilos," meaning "lip," and "-poda" comes from "pous" (genitive "podos"), meaning "foot." The name therefore means "lip-feet," a reference to the way the first pair of legs in these animals has been modified into venom-injecting claws. Those claws sit at the front of the body, close to the mouth, so they look like legs growing from the lips. The name was coined in the scientific Latin of the 19th century, when zoologists were classifying arthropods and needed Latinised Greek labels for each group. It is a technical coinage rather than a word that circulated in classical antiquity, so no ancient Greek writer used it to name centipedes. The Greek speakers who described these animals used other terms, and the modern label was built from classical building blocks to fit a systematic classification.

Synonyms: centipedes