katydid

American  

[key-tee-did] / ˈkeɪ ti dɪd /

noun

katydids plural

1. any of several large, usually green, American long-horned grasshoppers, the males of which produce a characteristic song.

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katydid British  

/ ˈkeɪtɪˌdɪd /

noun

1. any typically green long-horned grasshopper of the genus Microcentrum and related genera, living among the foliage of trees in North America

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• katydids
  plural

Etymology

Origin of katydid

An Americanism dating back to 1745–55; imitative

Explanation

A katydid is a type of grasshopper with extra-long antennae. You can hear katydids on summer nights making a loud, three-note sound. Like grasshoppers and crickets, katydids make noise by rubbing body parts together — in their case, by moving a leg against a wing and producing a sound that resembles their name. Katydids have also been known as "wide-horned grasshoppers," for the antennae that are often longer than their bodies. These insects are nocturnal and use camouflage, disguising themselves as green leaves to stay safe from predators.

Example Sentences

"If I were a cub," he puffed, "I'd buy this very morning all the Katydid I could, and sell at eighty-nine."

From The Guarded Heights by Camp, Wadsworth

For a moment Chirpy thought that perhaps Kiddie Katydid didn’t know what he was talking about.

From The Tale of Chirpy Cricket by Bailey, Arthur Scott

Kiddie Katydid had a neighbor who was a good deal like him.

From The Tale of Kiddie Katydid by Smith, Harry L.

The Prescott Kid on Old Katydid was the star we banked on most, For the Kid was cool as a pickle and fast as a midnight ghost.

From Right off the Bat Baseball Ballads by Kirk, William F.

But Kiddie Katydid spoke up quickly and said that he wouldn't care to join in the fun until the night was almost gone.

From The Tale of Kiddie Katydid by Smith, Harry L.