# spider

/ˈspaɪdɝ/ (US) · /spˈaɪdɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/spider
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. eight-legged creature

noun · CEFR A2

a small creature with eight legs that often spins a web to catch insects for food.

For teachers: an eight-legged predatory arthropod of the order Araneae, typically characterised by the ability to silk-spin webs.

- A large spider had built a beautiful web across the garden gate overnight.
- While most people fear the common house spider, these creatures play a vital role in controlling the local insect population.

### 2. internet program

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a computer program that automatically visits websites to collect information for search engines.

For teachers: an automated script or program designed to methodically browse the World Wide Web for the purpose of web indexing.

- Search engines use a spider to find new pages and add them to their results.
- The site's traffic spiked as a search engine spider began crawling the newly uploaded archives to index the content.

### 3. billiards/snooker tool

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a long stick with a metal head used to support your cue when the ball is hard to reach.

For teachers: a cue rest with a high, arch-shaped head used to bridge over an obstructing ball.

- He had to use the spider to reach the cue ball at the far end of the table.
- The player carefully positioned the spider to clear the intervening red ball, ensuring a stable bridge for the difficult long-range shot.

### 4. cooking tool

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a kitchen tool with a long handle and a wire mesh basket used to lift food out of hot oil or water.

For teachers: a long-handled skimmer with a wire mesh basket, used in deep-frying or boiling to retrieve food items.

- Use the spider to carefully lift the fried dumplings out of the hot oil.
- The chef employed a stainless steel spider to scoop the blanched vegetables from the boiling water, allowing them to drain instantly.

### 5. ice cream drink

noun · CEFR B1 · American English · Dialect

a drink made by putting a scoop of ice cream into a glass of fizzy soda.

For teachers: a beverage consisting of a scoop of ice cream served in a glass of carbonated soft drink.

- On a hot afternoon, nothing is better than a lime soda spider with vanilla ice cream.
- The children ordered chocolate spiders at the diner, watching with delight as the soda foamed over the rim of the glasses.

### 6. to spread or crawl

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to move or spread out in many directions like the legs of a spider.

For teachers: to move or extend in a pattern resembling the radiating legs of a spider or a web.

- Cracks began to spider across the old windshield after the rock hit it.
- Fine lines of frost began to spider across the windowpane as the temperature dropped well below freezing.

## Examples

- A large spider is spinning a web in the corner.
- The gardener noticed a tiny spider hiding under the leaf of the rose bush.
- While many people experience an instinctive fear of spiders, these arachnids play a vital role in the ecosystem by controlling the populations of various flying insects.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.