What does harvestman mean?
A harvestman is a long-legged arachnid belonging to the order Opiliones, rather than a true spider. It is particularly associated with the familiar daddy longlegs, whose exceptionally slender legs and compact body can make it seem more spider-like than it is. Harvestmen are found in many habitats, including gardens, woodland, and grassy areas, and are generally harmless to people. The name is especially familiar in British English; in North America, daddy longlegs is the more usual expression, although that name can also refer to crane flies. Despite their appearance, harvestmen are distinguished from spiders by important anatomical features, including the absence of the specialized silk-producing structures found in true spiders. The term can refer to the order as a whole or, in ordinary usage, to a particular individual harvestman.
nounA harvestman is any arachnid of the order Opiliones, especially the long-legged harvestman often called a daddy longlegs. Harvestmen are not true spiders.
- An arachnid of the order Opiliones, especially the long-legged harvestman.
"A harvestman crossed the garden wall on its famously long, slender legs."
"The harvestman sat motionless on the fence, its legs extending far beyond the body."
"Natural-history guides often note that the harvestman is an arachnid, although it lacks the silk-producing structures of true spiders."
The standard plural is harvestmen, with the internal t retained.
"Several harvestmen gathered near the garden fence."
With eight long legs but no silk-spinning spinnerets, the harvestman looks like a spider but belongs to a different branch of the arachnid family tree.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does harvestman come from?
Harvestman is a compound formed from harvest and man. The name reflects the traditional association of these long-legged arachnids with the harvest season, when they could become conspicuous in fields and gardens. Its history as a common name for the animal developed in English; the exact date of its earliest recorded use is uncertain.
How harvestman is actually used
The term is familiar in British English, while daddy longlegs is more common in North America. The expression daddy longlegs is applied inconsistently: it can mean a harvestman or, particularly in American English, a crane fly.
Easily confused with harvestman
In some American usage, daddy longlegs refers to a crane fly, whereas a harvestman is an arachnid belonging to the order Opiliones.