オオジョロウグモ

Meanings

noun

golden web spider; Nephila pilipes

usually written using kana alone

A large orb-weaving spider known for its strong golden silk. Common in warmer regions of Japan.

沖おき縄なわでオオジョロウグモの大おおきな巣すを見みつけた。
I found a large web of a golden web spider in Okinawa.
オオジョロウグモの糸いとは黄こ金がね色いろでとても丈じょう夫ぶだ。
The silk of the golden web spider is golden and very strong.

Kanji

大large, big
女woman, female
郎son, counter for sons
蜘spider
蛛spider

Related words

ジョロウグモ
Refers to the genus Nephila or specifically Nephila clavata, a related but generally smaller species. オオジョロウグモ is the larger Nephila pilipes.

Built from

大おお+女じょ郎ろう蜘蛛ぐも

Written forms

大おお女じょ郎ろう蜘蛛ぐも
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly found in older or specialized texts. The word is usually written in kana.
おおじょろうぐも
Hiragana spelling is also used, though katakana is more common for animal names.

Etymology

From 大 (おお, 'large') + 女郎蜘蛛 (じょろうぐも, 'Nephila spider'). The exact origin of 女郎蜘蛛 is uncertain, but it may refer to the spider's elegant appearance or a folk association with courtesans.