also: ひゃくそく
noun
centipede
Refers to the arthropod with many legs; common in everyday language.
庭で大きなムカデを見つけた。
I found a big centipede in the garden.
ムカデに噛まれると痛いらしい。
I hear it hurts if you get bitten by a centipede.
Kanji form using gikun reading; rarely used in modern writing.
Alternate reading of the kanji form; very rare.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Obscure kanji form; not in common use.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 百足 literally means 'hundred legs', describing the creature's many legs.