Mȳr'i-a-pōd, n.

n. [Fr. myriapode, from Gr. μύριοι, ten thousand, and πούς, ποδός, foot.] (Zoöl.) An air-breathing, worm-shaped, articulate animal, having many jointed legs and a hard external skeleton. See ARTICULATE.

There are two distinct groups. 1. The Chilopods, which have a flattened body, antenna with fourteen or more joints, one pair of feet to each segment of the body, and powerful biting jaws, sometimes secreting poison. They are nocturnal, carnivorous, and active, and are found in the torrid and temperate parts of the world. The centiped is an example. 2. The Chilognaths, or Diplopods, which have a rounded body, antenna with seven joints, two pair of feet to each segment of the body, excepting two or three of the anteriors, and chewing jaws. When disturbed, they secrete an acrid, nauseous fluid along the body. They are found in the torrid and temperate zones. The Iulus is an example.