ta·ran·tu·la 
(tə-rănchə-lə)
(tə-rănchə-lə)n. pl. ta·ran·tu·las or tarantu·lae (-lē′)
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.]