Uropygid

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An arachnid belonging to the order Uropygi, a group of whip scorpions with a long tail-like flagellum and no venom glands
2. A whip scorpion, a nocturnal arachnid of the order Uropygi that has a slender, whip-like tail at the rear of its body
3. Any member of the arachnid order Uropygi, commonly called a vinegaroon, which sprays acetic acid as a defense against predators

Etymology: The word combines two Greek words: "oura," meaning "tail," and "pygē," meaning "rump" or "buttocks." Its ending, "-id," is the common zoological suffix that marks a member of a group, so an uropygid is an animal belonging to a family or order named "Uropygi," the tail-rump group. The name fits its bearers. Uropygids, also called whip scorpions, are arachnids with a long, whip-like flagellum projecting from the rear of the body, which looks like a tail at the back end. Zoologists borrowed the same Greek elements for a bird structure, the uropygium, the fleshy knob above a bird's tail that holds the oil gland used in preening. Both names describe the hindquarters of an animal, though the creatures themselves are not closely related.