What does chilopod mean?
A chilopod is a centipede: a long, flattened, predatory arthropod belonging to the class Chilopoda within the group Myriapoda. Its body consists of numerous segments, each bearing a single pair of legs, and its first pair of limbs is modified into venom-injecting claws called forcipules, which it uses to subdue prey such as insects and other small invertebrates. Chilopods favor dark, moist habitats — under stones, logs, bark, and leaf litter — and are found worldwide. The word derives from the Greek roots cheilos ('lip') and pous ('foot'), reflecting early anatomical interpretations of the head appendages. In ordinary speech people say 'centipede'; 'chilopod' belongs mainly to scientific writing, where precision about classification matters. It is also distinguished from the superficially similar millipede, which has two pairs of legs per segment and feeds on decaying plant matter.
nounA carnivorous myriapod arthropod of the class Chilopoda; a centipede.
- Any predatory, elongated myriapod arthropod of the class Chilopoda, having one pair of legs on most body segments and the first pair modified into venom-bearing claws (forcipules); a centipede.
"The gardener turned over a stone and disturbed a chilopod that scuttled for the darkness on its many pairs of legs."
"Beneath the rotting log, a pale chilopod hunted springtails in the damp leaf litter."
"The zoology lecture contrasted chilopod and diplopod anatomy, noting how their leg arrangements reveal very different lifestyles."
Standard English plural; when referring collectively to all members of the group, writers often use 'chilopods' informally or the capitalized class name Chilopoda.
"Chilopods are among the most familiar predatory arthropods of garden soil and leaf litter."
Every chilopod — every centipede on Earth — has an odd number of leg pairs, so you will never find one with exactly twenty legs.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chilopod
The word 'chilopod' comes from modern Latin Chilopoda, the taxonomic name for the class of centipedes, itself formed from the Greek cheilos ('lip') plus pous, podos ('foot'). The name reflects nineteenth-century anatomical debates over the nature of the second maxillae, which were once thought to correspond to a pair of legs fused to the lip region. It thus shares its foot element with a large family of English words borrowed ultimately from Greek, including tripod, arthropod, and podiatry.
How chilopod is actually used
Chiefly used in technical, scientific, or academic contexts; 'centipede' is the everyday term. The capitalized form Chilopoda denotes the taxonomic class, while lowercase 'chilopod' refers to an individual animal or member of the group.
Easily confused with chilopod
A chilopod is a centipede with one pair of legs per body segment and venomous forcipules, while a millipede has two pairs per segment and is a detritivore rather than a predator.
Despite the similar spelling, a chiropodist is a foot-care clinician, whereas a chilopod is a many-legged arthropod.