millipede

noun

mil·li·pede ˈmi-lə-ˌpēd

: any of a class (Diplopoda) of myriapod arthropods having usually a cylindrical segmented body covered with hard integument, two pairs of legs on most apparent segments, and unlike centipedes no poison fangs

Did you know?

The earth is home to about 10,000 species of millipedes. Though they have no poison fangs, many of them can, when threatened, emit a liquid or gas poisonous to their enemies. If their structure were true to their name, millipedes would have a thousand legs, but in fact they have far fewer. Even so, a millipede in motion is a sight to ponder: How can it possibly coordinate all those legs so that it doesn't trip over itself? Like some tiny conga line or bunny hop, it scuttles away to a rhythm only it can hear.

Examples of millipede in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Arthropods are invertebrate animals that today include insects, spiders, crustaceans, centipedes and millipedes—and Lomankus edgecombei belonged to an extinct subgroup of these creatures called megacheirans. —

Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024 Burrows are also known among birds, crustaceans, centipedes and millipedes, and certain vertebrates like alligators and lizards. —

Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024 Share [Findings] A fungal parasite that afflicts the reproductive organs of millipedes was named in honor of Twitter. —

Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 The discovery is not only changing how researchers understand the way that giant arthropods lived but also sheds light on the close evolutionary connections between centipedes and millipedes. —

Ashley Strickland, CNN, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for millipede

Word History

Etymology

Latin millepeda, a small crawling animal, from mille thousand + ped-, pes foot — more at foot

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of millipede was in 1601

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Millipede.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/millipede. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

millipede

noun

mil·li·pede ˈmil-ə-ˌpēd

: any of a class of arthropods having a long segmented body with a hard covering, two pairs of legs on most segments, and unlike the related centipedes no poison fangs

Etymology

from Latin millepeda "a small crawling animal," literally "a thousand-footed animal," from mille "thousand" and ped-, pes "foot"

Medical Definition

millipede

noun

mil·li·pede ˈmil-ə-ˌpēd

: any of a class (Diplopoda) of arthropods having usually a cylindrical segmented body, two pairs of legs on most segments, and including some forms that secrete toxic substances causing skin irritation but that unlike centipedes possess no poison fangs