tarántula
/taˈɾantula/feminine
The English word tarantula is tarántula in Spanish.
tarántula refers to a spider of the family Theraphosidae.
Meaning: spider of the family Theraphosidae (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/taˈɾantula/
Did you know?
- Historically, the term was associated with the 'tarantella', a fast-paced dance thought to be the cure for the venomous bite of the 'tarántula'.
- The word tarántula is linked to the Italian city of Taranto, where it was once believed that a specific spider bite caused a form of madness known as 'tarantism'.
- While tarántula describes a specific family of spiders, Spanish speakers often use it colloquially to describe any exceptionally large or hairy spider.
Examples in context
- Sami encontró una tarántula enorme en el ático.Sami found a huge tarantula in the attic.This example shows how to use tarántula when describing finding a large specimen in an attic.Tatoeba #7918169 by fpp, translation #7147460 by OsoHombre
- La tarántula es una araña grande y peluda.The tarantula is a large and hairy spider.
- No me acerco a una tarántula, me dan miedo.I don't get near a tarantula, they scare me.
- Esa tarántula es muy grande.That tarantula is very big.
- Vi una tarántula en el jardín.I saw a tarantula in the garden.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are looking at a pet store window.
- Javier¿Viste esa tarántula en la vitrina?Did you see that tarantula in the window?
- MaríaSí, es impresionante.Yes, it is impressive.
- JavierMe da un poco de miedo.It scares me a little.
- MaríaNo te preocupes, Javier.Don't worry, Javier.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tarantula” translations and entries tarántula, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tarántula, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
