Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for bristletail. Search instead for bristletails.

bristletail

American  
[bris-uhl-teyl] / ˈbrɪs əlˌteɪl /

noun

  1. any of various wingless insects of the order Thysanura, having long, bristlelike, caudal appendages, comprising the firebrats, silverfish, and machilids.


bristletail British  
/ ˈbrɪsəlˌteɪl /

noun

  1. any primitive wingless insect of the orders Thysanura and Diplura , such as the silverfish and firebrat, having a flattened body and long tail appendages

"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

Etymology

Origin of bristletail

First recorded in 1700–10; bristle + tail 1