collembolan

American

[kuh-lem-buh-luhn] / kəˈlɛm bə lən /

adjective

Also collembolous belonging or pertaining to the insect order Collembola, comprising the springtails.

noun

a collembolan insect; springtail.

collembolan British

/ kəˈlɛmbələn /

noun

any small primitive wingless insect of the order Collembola, which comprises the springtails

"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

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the Collembola

"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 collembolan

1870; < New Latin Collembol ( a ) order name (equivalent to Greek kóll ( a ) glue + émbola, plural of émbolon wedge, stopper ( embolus ); so named from the collophore) + -an

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.

The previous oldest examples are collembolan spermatozoa found entombed in amber from the Late Eocene period, and crustacean sperm from cave deposits found in Australia.

From The Guardian

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023