apterous

American  

[ap-ter-uhs] / ˈæp tər əs /

adjective

1. Zoology. wingless, as some insects.

2. Botany. without membranous expansions, as a stem.

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apterous British  

/ ˈæptərəs /

adjective

1. (of insects) without wings, as silverfish and springtails

2. without winglike expansions, as some plant stems, seeds, and fruits

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Other Word Forms

• apterism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of apterous

First recorded in 1765–75, apterous is from the Greek word ápteros wingless. See a- ⁶, -pterous

Example Sentences

The insect is a trifle more robust than its ordinary European representatives, and it is invariably apterous.

From On the Variation of Species, with Especial Reference to the Insecta ; Followed by an Inquiry into the Nature of Genera by Wollaston, Thomas Vernon

It has long been known, indeed, that there are species in which certain individuals remain always apterous, while others acquire wings.

From On the Origin and Metamorphoses of Insects by Lubbock, John, Sir

Symphyla: a group name for apterous species resembling myriapods in appearance, with functional abdominal legs and the genital openings on the last abdominal segment: regarded by some as connecting forms between insects and myriapods, e.g.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.

Podura, pō-dū′ra, n. a genus of apterous insects—spring-tails, snow-fleas.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

Lowei, Woll., of a more adaptive nature than its allies, 122.Tarus, always apterous in Madeira, 82.—— lineatus, Schönh., assumes a distinct state in Madeira, 65.Telephorus testaceus, Linn., its variability in Lundy Island, 59.Thompson,

From On the Variation of Species, with Especial Reference to the Insecta ; Followed by an Inquiry into the Nature of Genera by Wollaston, Thomas Vernon