Definition: Chelicerata

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Chelicerata: a subphylum first described by Richard Heymons [1867 – 1943], a German zoologist, in 1901, using the Gr. noun χηλη “chele” = a claw, talon, or hoof + Gr. κερας “ceras” = an animal’s horn + the L. suffix ata — which by convention is suffixed to the names of animal subdivisions — in reference to animals with specialized appendages before the mouth that are used in feeding, capturing and securing prey, and, in the case of spiders, injecting venom and digestive agents into their prey.

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For similar words, see Glossary of Science — C