centipede

noun

Etymology: From French centipède, from Latin centipeda, centipēs, from centi- (“hundred”) + pēs (“foot”); equivalent to centi- + -pede.

1. Any arthropod of class Chilopoda, which have a segmented body with one pair of legs per segment and from about 20 to 300 legs in total.

   “Centipedes differ from millipedes by having a single pair of legs on each body segment.”

   “The existence of millipedes, centipedes, insects, and spiders along-side the first tetrapods sustained a robust ecosystem in which most animals were predators or scavengers.”

2. A many-oared Chinese smuggling boat.