Sunday, September 22, 2013

Unusual Word #1

Arachnophobia - fear of spiders.

Some related words:
araneid - a spider;
araneidan - spider like;
arachnology - study of spiders;
arachnivorous - feeding on spiders;
arachnophagous - eating spiders;
arachnids or arachnoids - not just spiders, also scorpions, ticks, mites and more.  They are characterized by eight jointed legs, body divided into two sections and exoskeleton.
Exoskeleton is a hard structure outside the body, that does not grow.  That is why arachnids have to shed it when it is too small, and form a new, larger one.  The process is called "molting". 

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