drag·on·fly
(drăg′ən-flī′)n.
Any of numerous predatory insects of the order Odonata, having large eyes, a long slender body, and two pairs of transparent veined wings, especially those of the order Anisoptera, which hold the wings outstretched when at rest, as distinguished from the damselflies. Also called regionally darner, darning needle, devil's darning needle, mosquito fly, mosquito hawk, needle, skeeter hawk, snake doctor, snake feeder, spindle.
Our Living Language Regional terms for the dragonfly are numerous—the Dictionary of American Regional English lists nearly 80 of them. The greatest variety of terms is to be found in the South, where the most widespread term is snake doctor (a name based on a folk belief that dragonflies take care of snakes). The Midland equivalent is snake feeder. Speakers from the Lower South and the Mississippi Valley, on the other hand, are more likely to refer to the same insect as a mosquito fly, mosquito hawk, or, in the South Atlantic states, a skeeter hawk. The imagery outside the South often alludes to the insect's shape rather than its behavior or diet: speakers in the West, in the Upper North, and in New England call it a darner, darning needle, or, less commonly, a devil's darning needle, and those in the Upper North also refer to it just as a needle; those in coastal New Jersey, a spindle.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
dragonfly
(ˈdræɡənˌflaɪ)n, pl -flies
1. (Animals) any predatory insect of the suborder Anisoptera, having a large head and eyes, a long slender body, two pairs of iridescent wings that are outspread at rest, and aquatic larvae: order Odonata. See also damselfly
2. (Animals) any other insect of the order Odonata
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
drag•on•fly
(ˈdræg ənˌflaɪ)n., pl. -flies.
any nonstinging insect of the order Odonata (suborder Anisoptera), distinguished from the damselfly by having the wings open when at rest.
[1620–30]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
drag·on·fly
(drăg′ən-flī′) Any of various insects having a long slender body and two pairs of many-veined wings that are held outstretched at rest.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  dragonfly - slender-bodied non-stinging insect having iridescent wings that are outspread at rest; adults and nymphs feed on mosquitoes etc.mosquito hawk, skeeter hawk, snake doctor, snake feeder, sewing needle, darning needle, devil's darning needle odonate - large primitive predatory aquatic insect having two pairs of membranous wings |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
يَعْسوبيَعْسُوب
vážka
guldsmed
kiil
sudenkorento
vilin konjicvilinski konjic
szitakötő
drekafluga
トンボ
잠자리
libellula
laumžirgisskėtė
spāre
libelulă
vážka
kačji pastir
trollslända
แมลงปอ
yusufçukkızböceği
con chuồn chuồn
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
dragonfly
n → Libelle f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
dragonfly
(ˈdrӕgənflai) noun a kind of insect with a long body and double wings.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
dragonfly
→ يَعْسُوب vážka guldsmed Libelle λιβελούλα libélula sudenkorento libellule vilin konjic libellula トンボ 잠자리 libel øyenstikker ważka libélula стрекоза trollslända แมลงปอ yusufçuk con chuồn chuồn 蜻蜓Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009