Meaning & use
Chinese jumping spider
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablebiology
A jumping spider of a kind found in China, known for hunting by jumping on prey rather than spinning a web to catch it.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a Chinese jumping spider' or 'Chinese jumping spiders'.
Patterns
- a Chinese jumping spider
- Chinese jumping spiders
The Chinese jumping spider stalks its prey and then pounces.
We saw a Chinese jumping spider on the wall and watched it for ten minutes.
Unlike many spiders, the Chinese jumping spider does not build a web to trap insects.
Word forms
| plural | Chinese jumping spiders |
|---|
Common combinations
- a species of Chinese jumping spider
- This is a species of Chinese jumping spider that lives in mountain forests.
- hunt like a Chinese jumping spider
- The little robot moves and hunts like a Chinese jumping spider.
- spot a Chinese jumping spider
- It is hard to spot a Chinese jumping spider because it is so small.
- study the Chinese jumping spider
- Scientists study the Chinese jumping spider to learn how its eyes work.
Synonyms and how they differ
- jumping spider
- This is the general name for the whole family; use it when the exact country or species does not matter.
- salticid
- A technical word for any jumping spider; it sounds scientific and is mostly used by specialists.
Commonly confused: Chinese jumping spider or Chinese spider?
Chinese jumping spider vs Chinese spider
This is not a fixed name; it could mean any spider from China, so be careful not to use it when you mean this particular jumping spider.
Practice
Which sentence uses the name correctly?
Choose one answer.
The name is a countable noun, so 'a Chinese jumping spider' is correct. Option 1 is wrong because the singular subject needs 'is'. Option 2 is wrong because 'a' cannot go with a plural. Option 3 is wrong because a spider is not an insect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Chinese jumping spider”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.