grasshopper
Americannoun
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any of numerous herbivorous, orthopterous insects, especially of the families Acrididae and Tettigoniidae, having the hind legs adapted for leaping and having chewing mouth parts, some species being highly destructive to vegetation.
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a small, light airplane used on low-flying missions, as for reconnaissance.
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Military. Grasshopper, a U.S. antipersonnel mine that jumps off the ground when activated by proximate body heat and sprays shrapnel over a lethal radius of 350 feet (107 meters).
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a cocktail of light cream, green crème de menthe, and white crème de menthe or crème de cacao.
noun
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any orthopterous insect of the families Acrididae ( short-horned grasshoppers ) and Tettigoniidae ( long-horned grasshoppers ), typically terrestrial, feeding on plants, and producing a ticking sound by rubbing the hind legs against the leathery forewings See also locust katydid
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informal very young or very small
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an iced cocktail of equal parts of crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and cream
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(modifier) unable to concentrate on any one subject for long
a grasshopper mind
Etymology
Origin of grasshopper
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English; grass ( def. ), hopper ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Those grasshoppers—that’s what they were, in fact—had eaten everything green on Elroy’s farm, including his wife’s green dress that was hanging on the line!
From Literature
Among the more poignant moments, Charles laments the loss of wildlife at Highgrove, noting when he first moved in there nearly five decades ago he would hear cuckoos and see grasshoppers.
From Barron's
The researchers partnered with farmers in Senegal who regularly face outbreaks of the Senegalese grasshopper.
From Science Daily
The memories suddenly came rushing back to me: Jemma used to put grasshoppers in my hair to frighten me, and I liked to put June bugs on her shoulders to give her a shock.
From Literature
Her metal artworks include a large grasshopper and a dinosaur, which are installed in her garden.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
