Ettercaps

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of mythical creature often depicted as a spider-like being which is known for ambushing travelers and controlling arachnids
2. An imaginative entity in folklore characterized by its hunt for human victims and its ability to manipulate spiders
3. A fantastical creature from legends, portrayed as malevolent in nature, skilled in ensnaring prey with webs and traps

Etymology: "Ettercap" is a monster from Scottish folklore that is also widely known from fantasy gaming. Its name is a compound, and the more useful story is how it moved from Scotland into modern fantasy. Ettercaps appear in Dungeons & Dragons as a spider-like creature, and the form "ettercaps" is simply the plural of "ettercap". The word itself rests on the Scots "ettin", a giant, joined to "cap", a word for a head or top, so the name is best read as a giant-headed creature. Folklore accounts describe ettercaps as malevolent beings that lurk in the wilds, and the spider imagery seems to have come in through later fantasy writing rather than the older tradition.