1. Chiefly nocturnal predacious arthropod having a flattened body of 15 to 173 segments each with a pair of legs, the foremost pair being modified as prehensors
   "A centipede scurried across the basement floor"

Derived forms: centipedes

Type of: arthropod

Part of: Chilopoda, class Chilopoda

Encyclopedia: Centipede