Definition of "centipede" [cen•ti•pede]

• Any of various wormlike arthropods of the class Chilopoda, having a flattened body composed of segments, each bearing a pair of jointed appendages. The appendages of the foremost body segment are modified into venomous biting organs with which it preys on insects, such as cockroaches. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The asymmetrical advantage that enables a "centipede" is that the conspirators themselves are never outed."
• "The bread is out of the oven, so I can take the dog to the park, but I wanted to show you the drain centipede I rescued from the sink this morning."
• "A centipede is blamed for the death of a pregnant woman in Malaysia:"