tarantula

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

tarantula
    n 1: large southern European spider once thought to be the cause
         of tarantism (uncontrollable bodily movement) [syn:
         {European wolf spider}, {tarantula}, {Lycosa tarentula}]
    2: large hairy tropical spider with fangs that can inflict
       painful but not highly venomous bites

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Tarantula \Ta*ran"tu*la\, n.; pl. E. {Tarantulas}, L.
   {Tarantulae}. [NL., fr. It. tarantola, fr. L. Tarentum, now
   Taranto, in the south of Italy.] (Zool.)
   Any one of several species of large spiders, popularly
   supposed to be very venomous, especially the European species
   ({Tarantula apuliae}). The tarantulas of Texas and adjacent
   countries are large species of Mygale. [Written also
   {tarentula}.]
   [1913 Webster]

   {Tarantula killer}, a very large wasp ({Pompilus formosus}),
      which captures the Texan tarantula ({Mygale Hentzii}) and
      places it in its nest as food for its young, after
      paralyzing it by a sting.
      [1913 Webster]

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

22 Moby Thesaurus words for "tarantula":
      arachnid, arthropod, beetle, bug, caterpillar, centipede, chilopod,
      daddy longlegs, diplopod, fly, harvestman, hexapod, insect, larva,
      maggot, millepede, millipede, mite, nymph, scorpion, spider,
      tick