Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com

backswimmer

American  
[bak-swim-er] / ˈbækˌswɪm ər /

noun

  1. any of numerous predaceous aquatic hemipterous insects, of the family Notonectidae, that swim on their backs, and may inflict a painful bite if handled.

Etymology

Origin of backswimmer

First recorded in 1860–65; back 1 + swimmer ( def. )

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.