A centipede is a long, worm-like creature with many pairs of legs attached to its segmented body. Most centipedes actually have between 30 and 354 legs, depending on the species. Each body segment has one pair of legs, and centipedes always have an odd number of pairs, so you'll never find one with exactly 100 legs.

Centipedes are predators, meaning they hunt other small creatures like insects and spiders. They have venomous claws near their head that they use to catch and paralyze prey. While most centipedes are harmless to humans, some tropical species can deliver painful bites if threatened.

You might spot centipedes in damp, dark places like under rocks, in leaf piles, or in basements. They move surprisingly fast for creatures with so many legs, using a wave-like motion that sends them scurrying across surfaces. Unlike millipedes, which are rounder and slower plant-eaters, centipedes are flat, fast, and fierce hunters.

The word centipede can also describe something that moves in a long, segmented way, like a line of connected train cars winding through mountains.