[ahr-thruh-pod] 
| 1. | any invertebrate of the phylum Arthropoda, having a segmented body, jointed limbs, and usually a chitinous shell that undergoes moltings, including the insects, spiders and other arachnids, crustaceans, and myriapods. |
| 2. | Also, ar⋅throp⋅o⋅dal [ahr-throp-uh-dl] , ar⋅throp⋅o⋅dan [ahr-throp-uh-dn] , ar⋅throp⋅o⋅dous [ahr-throp-uh-duh s] . belonging or pertaining to the Arthropoda. |
| ar·thro·pod (är'thrə-pŏd') n. Any of numerous invertebrate animals of the phylum Arthropoda, including the insects, crustaceans, arachnids, and myriapods, that are characterized by a chitinous exoskeleton and a segmented body to which jointed appendages are articulated in pairs. [From New Latin Arthropoda, phylum name : arthro- + New Latin -poda, -pod.] ar'thro·pod adj., ar·throp'o·dan (är-thrŏp'ə-dən), ar·throp'o·dal (-dəl) adj. |
A phylum, or major division of the animal kingdom. Arthropods are animals with jointed legs and segmented bodies, such as insects, spiders, centipedes, and crustaceans. There are more species of arthropods than of any other animal phylum.
arthropod ar·thro·pod (är'thrə-pŏd')
n.
Any of numerous invertebrate animals of the phylum Arthropoda, including insects, crustaceans, arachnids, and myriapods.
| arthropod (är'thrə-pŏd') Pronunciation Key
Any of numerous invertebrate animals of the phylum Arthopoda, characterized by an exoskeleton made of chitin and a segmented body with pairs of jointed appendages. Arthropods share many features with annelids and may have evolved from them in the Precambrian Era. Arthropods include the insects, crustaceans, arachnids, myriapods, and extinct trilobites, and are the largest phylum in the animal kingdom. |