ta·ran·tu·la 
(t
ə-r
ăn
ch
ə-l
ə)
n. pl. ta·ran·tu·las or
tarantu·lae (-l
ē′)
1. Any of various large hairy spiders chiefly of the family Theraphosidae, capable of inflicting a bite that is painful but usually not dangerous to humans.
2. A large wolf spider (Lycosa tarentula) of southern Europe, once thought to cause tarantism.
[Medieval Latin, from Old Italian tarantola, after Taranto.]