damselfly

American

[dam-zuhl-flahy] / ˈdæm zəlˌflaɪ /

noun

any of numerous slender, nonstinging insects of the order Odonata (suborder Zygoptera), distinguished from the dragonflies by having the wings folded back in line with the body when at rest.

damselfly British

/ ˈdæmzəlˌflaɪ /

noun

any insect of the suborder Zygoptera similar to but smaller than dragonflies and usually resting with the wings closed over the back: order Odonata

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

damselflies

plural

Etymology

Origin of damselfly

First recorded in 1805–15; damsel + fly ¹

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023