mygale Meaning, Definition & Usage
Myg"a*le noun
Etymology
L., a field mouse, Gr. .Definitions
(Zoöl.) A genus of very large hairy spiders having four lungs and only four spinnerets. They do not spin webs, but usually construct tubes in the earth, which are often furnished with a trapdoor. The South American bird spider ( Mygale avicularia ), and the crab spider, or matoutou (M. cancerides ) are among the largest species. Some of the species are erroneously called tarantulas, as the Texas tarantula (M. Hentzii ).= the trapdoor spiders; they are of the family Ctenizidae