節足動物

• Reading: せっそくどうぶつ
• Romaji: sessokudobutsu
• Kanji breakdown: 節 (setsu/fushi) — segment, joint; 足 (soku/ashi) — leg, limb; 動物 (dobutsu) — animal
• Pronunciation: /ses.so.kɯ.doː.bɯ.tsɯ/

Meaning

Arthropod. An invertebrate animal with an exoskeleton, segmented body, and jointed limbs, including insects, crustaceans, arachnids, and myriapods.

A scientific noun belonging to zoological classification. 節足動物 is the largest animal phylum by species count, comprising roughly eighty percent of all known animal species. The term appears in biology textbooks, nature documentaries, and environmental studies. Familiarity with this word is expected in academic or scientific reading at the N1 level.

Examples

1. カニ、エビ、昆虫、クモはいずれも節足動物門に属する無脊椎動物だ。 Crabs, shrimps, insects, and spiders are all invertebrates belonging to the phylum Arthropoda.
2. 節足動物の特徴は、体が節に分かれ、関節のある肢を持つことにある。 The defining characteristics of arthropods are a body divided into segments and limbs with joints.
3. 節足動物は地球上で最も繁栄した動物群であり、既知種の大半を占める。 Arthropods are the most successful animal group on Earth, comprising the vast majority of known species.

Usage Guide

Context: zoology, biology, science education

Tone: academic

Origin & History

Compound of 節 (segment, joint) + 足 (leg, limb) + 動物 (animal). The name precisely describes the defining feature: jointed legs on a segmented body.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Academic