Meanings
arachnoid1
- not comparableRelating to or resembling spider webs; covered with or composed of soft loose hairs or fibers.
- not comparableanatomyRelating to the arachnoid mater.
plural arachnoids
- abbreviationellipsisanatomyEllipsis of arachnoid mater.
arachnoid2
- not comparablerelationalarachnologyRelating to or resembling spiders.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiverelating to or resembling a member of the class Arachnida
nounair-breathing arthropods characterized by simple eyes and four pairs of legs
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
arachnoid · adjective, noun
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓ρᾰχνοειδής“like a cobweb”
- New Latinarachnoīdēs
- Englisharachnoid
Mid 18th century borrowing from New Latin arachnoīdēs, from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓ρᾰχνοειδής (ărăkhnoeidḗs, “like a cobweb”), from ᾰ̓ρᾰ́χνη (ărắkhnē, “spider web”) + -ο- (-o-) + -ειδής (-eidḗs, “-oid, -like”). By surface analysis, arachn- + -oid.
More words from New Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →arachnoid · adjective, noun
19th century from taxonomic name Arachnida + -oid.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 蛛網的 /蛛网的, 蛛網膜的 /蛛网膜的
- 蛛網的 /蛛网的 (zhūwǎng de)relating to or resembling spider webs
- 蛛網膜的 /蛛网膜的 (zhūwǎngmó de)relating to the arachnoid mater
Polish pajęczynowy, pajęczynówkowy
- pajęczynowyrelating to or resembling spider webs
- pajęczynówkowyrelating to the arachnoid mater
- pajęczyrelated to or resembling spiders
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with arachnoid
All rhymes →Cite this entry
arachnoid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/arachnoid
“arachnoid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/arachnoid. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “arachnoid,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/arachnoid.
Source: arachnoid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.