- any of several large, hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae, as Aphonopelma chalcodes, of the southwestern U.S., having a painful but not highly venomous bite.
- any of various related spiders.
- a large wolf spider, Lycosa tarantula, of southern Europe, having a bite once thought to be the cause of tarantism.
- any of various large hairy mostly tropical spiders of the American family Theraphosidae
- a large hairy spider, Lycosa tarentula of S Europe, the bite of which was formerly thought to cause tarantism
