What does spiderlike mean?
Spiderlike is an adjective meaning that something resembles a spider. The comparison may refer to a slender or angular form, an arrangement of legs, a sprawling posture, or quick and irregular movement. It is often used when describing animals, robots, machines, shadows, or human movement in a vivid or figurative way. For example, a robot can be called spiderlike if it moves across a surface on several articulated limbs, while a shadow may be described as spiderlike when it spreads across a wall in thin, dark shapes. The word combines the name of the animal with the suffix “-like,” which expresses resemblance. It is more evocative than simply saying that something resembles a spider and can suggest delicacy, complexity, or quick movement.
adjectiveResembling a spider in appearance, shape, or manner of movement.
- Resembling a spider in appearance, shape, or movement.
"The creature moved across the wall with a quick, spiderlike motion."
"A spiderlike silhouette clung to the corner of the building."
"The robot used a spiderlike mechanism to move over the uneven surface."
Spiderlike helps describe something that moves with the quick, many-limbed appearance associated with a spider.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spiderlike come from?
The word is formed within English from “spider” and the suffix “-like,” meaning “resembling.” “Spider” comes from Old English “spīdra,” an inherited Germanic word associated with spinning and later with the arachnid itself. The compound-like descriptive form “spiderlike” developed by combining that inherited noun with the longstanding English suffix “-like.”
How spiderlike is actually used
Often written as “spider-like” when it appears before a noun. It is primarily descriptive and is commonly used for movement, structure, or appearance.