word | millipede |
---|---|
definition | Any of a class of many-footed arthropods that have a cylindrical, segmented body with two pairs of legs on each segment, and, unlike centipedes, no poison fangs. |
eg_sentence | As they turned over rocks and bricks in their search for the lost bracelet, millipedes of various sizes went scurrying off. |
explanation | The earth is home to about 10,000 species of millipedes. Though they have no poison fangs, many of them can, when threatened, emit a liquid or gas poisonous to their enemies. If their structure were true to their name, millipedes would have a thousand legs, but in fact they have far fewer. Even so, a millipede in motion is a sight to ponder: How can it possibly coordinate all those legs so that it doesn't trip over itself? Like some tiny conga line or bunny hop, it scuttles away to a rhythm only it can hear |
IPA | millipede* |
Tags: mwvb::unit:20, mwvb::unit:20:word, mwvb::word, mwvb::word-cloze, mwvb::word-reverse, obsidian_to_anki
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