ENGLISH
REFERENCE

scorpion

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈskɔɹpiən// UK //skˈɔːpiən// scor·pi·on Archaic

n. a small animal with eight legs and a curved tail that can sting you. It usually lives in hot, dry places like deserts.

n. an arachnid of the order Scorpiones, characterized by a segmented tail ending in a venomous stinger and a pair of grasping pedipalps. While the metadata suggests an archaic astronomical sense, the modern primary sense refers to the biological organism.


SIMPLE

The scorpion hid under a large rock in the desert.

CONTEXTUAL

Hikers in the Southwest are often advised to shake out their boots to check for a hidden scorpion.

COMPLEX

Despite their fearsome reputation, only a small fraction of scorpion species possess venom potent enough to pose a significant medical threat to a healthy adult human.

Synonyms
Origin

From the animal scorpion, from Latin scorpio (“scorpion”).

Usage

When referring to the constellation or zodiac sign, it is typically capitalized as 'the Scorpion' or 'Scorpius'.

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