Illustration of scorpion
- scorpion 1a
scorpion
noun
scor·pi·on
ˈskȯr-pē-ən 
1
a
: any of an order (Scorpionida) of nocturnal arachnids that have an elongated body and a narrow segmented tail bearing a venomous stinger at the tip
b
capitalized
: scorpio
2
: a scourge probably studded with metal
3
: something that incites to action like the sting of an insect
the scorpions of absolute necessity—
Arnold Bennett
Arnold Bennett
Examples of scorpion in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Size: Bark scorpions are relatively small compared to other scorpion species, typically measuring 1-3 inches in length.
—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 18 May 2024
Video footage from the incident shows an airport official removing plastic bags containing arachnids and scorpions, packed in a plastic lunch box.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 15 May 2024
Only one scorpion, the bark scorpion, is poisonous.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024
Then, in a display of superhuman joint mobility, its legs curl upward from the knees, sort of like a scorpion tail, until its feet settle firmly on the floor beside its hips.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 1 May 2024
They were terrified of stepping on snakes, scorpions—or something more gruesome.
—Seyward Darby, Longreads, 23 Apr. 2024
Stay away:With mild spring weather come scorpions, spiders, roaches.
—The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
The scorpion itself is 1½ inches, and the handmade piece comes in 14-karat white gold, rose gold or yellow gold.
—Marques Harper, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
But under further inspection, the researchers noticed that the critter was missing the identifiable stinger that delivers a scorpion’s venom.
—Irene Wright, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024
Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 18 May 2024
Video footage from the incident shows an airport official removing plastic bags containing arachnids and scorpions, packed in a plastic lunch box.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 15 May 2024
Only one scorpion, the bark scorpion, is poisonous.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024
Then, in a display of superhuman joint mobility, its legs curl upward from the knees, sort of like a scorpion tail, until its feet settle firmly on the floor beside its hips.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 1 May 2024
They were terrified of stepping on snakes, scorpions—or something more gruesome.
—Seyward Darby, Longreads, 23 Apr. 2024
Stay away:With mild spring weather come scorpions, spiders, roaches.
—The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
The scorpion itself is 1½ inches, and the handmade piece comes in 14-karat white gold, rose gold or yellow gold.
—Marques Harper, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
But under further inspection, the researchers noticed that the critter was missing the identifiable stinger that delivers a scorpion’s venom.
—Irene Wright, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scorpion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near scorpion
Cite this Entry
“Scorpion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scorpion. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scorpion
noun
scor·pi·on
ˈskȯr-pē-ən
: any of an order of invertebrates that are arachnids and that have a long jointed body and a slender tail with a poisonous stinger at the end
Medical Definition
scorpion
noun
scor·pi·on
ˈskȯr-pē-ən
: any of an order (Scorpionida) of arachnids that have an elongated body and a narrow segmented tail bearing a venomous stinger at the tip
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