daddy longlegs

• daddy-longlegs, daddy-long-legs

From daddy + longlegs.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdædɪ ˈlɒŋ(ɡ)leɡz/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

daddy longlegs (plural daddy longlegs or daddy longlegses)

1. (Britain, Ireland) The cranefly; any insect of the suborder Tipulomorpha.
   • 2004, Bill Hansford-Steele, African Fly-fishing Handbook‎, page 316:

     Daddy longlegs adults are weak flyers, falling onto the water surface in the lightest of breezes, and even on calm days.

2. (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, US) Any (non-spider) arachnid of the order Opiliones, mostly with long thin legs; the harvestman.
   • 2002, Maurice Burton, Robert Burton, The International Wildlife Encyclopedia, Volume 10, page 636,

     Unlike spiders, daddy longlegs do not have a clearly marked division between thorax and abdomen. They are further distinguished from spiders in that they do not produce venom or silk.

   • 2004, Clay Thompson, Marshall Trimble, The Valley 101 Great Big Book of Life, page 33,

     Daddy longlegs aren′t even really spiders.

3. (loosely) The daddy long-legs spider, any spider of the family Pholcidae.
   • 2010, Lou Bensinger, Tiny Invaders in Your Home‎, page 10:

     Another spider neighbor that is commonly found in homes is the daddy longlegs. The daddy longlegs is often called a cellar spider.

Some confusion exists because of the use of (almost) the same term for an insect, a non-spider arachnid and a spider. This is partly alleviated by some authors by reserving the term daddy long-legs spider for the spider alone.

• (insect of suborder Tipulomorpha): cranefly, tipulid
• (arachnid of order Opiliones): harvestman
• (spider of family Pholcidae): cellar spider