dragonfly
Americannoun
-
dragonflies
plural
-
any of numerous stout-bodied, nonstinging insects of the order Odonata (suborder Anisoptera), the species of which prey on mosquitoes and other insects and are distinguished from the damselflies by having the wings outstretched rather than folded when at rest.
-
Military. Dragonfly, a two-seat, twin-turbojet U.S. attack aircraft in service since 1967, armed with a Minigun and capable of carrying nearly 5700 pounds (2585 kilograms) of ordnance.
noun
-
any predatory insect of the suborder Anisoptera, having a large head and eyes, a long slender body, two pairs of iridescent wings that are outspread at rest, and aquatic larvae: order Odonata See also damselfly
-
any other insect of the order Odonata
Regionalisms
the dragonfly is also called a darning needle and a devil's darning needle in the Northern and Western U.S. In the Northern U.S. it is also called a sewing needle. In the Midland U.S. it is called a snake feeder, in the South Midland and Southern U.S. a snake doctor, and in the Southern U.S., especially in the Southern Coastal areas, it is called a mosquito hawk or a skeeter hawk. Spindle is also in use, chiefly in New Jersey and in the Delaware Valley. Ear sewer is in older use in some scattered regional areas.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dragonfly
Vocabulary lists containing dragonfly
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.
See Examples For:
Just one plant is on the list - the green-winged orchid - alongside a large number of invertebrates including the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly and the black darter dragonfly.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
Beyond cephalopods, xanthommatin is also found in insects within the arthropod group, contributing to the brilliant orange and yellow hues of monarch butterfly wings and the bright reds seen in dragonfly bodies and fly eyes.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2025
He’s started dressing in oversized designer T-shirts, massive shearling coats, and a slim suit with dragonflies on it—with matching dragonfly shoes.
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2024
A dragonfly lands on a plant near one of the yard’s water features.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2024
The galley skimmed the water like a dragonfly, her oars rising and falling in perfect time.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
A small fire on the reserve in June was extinguished using water from a pond created with cash from the Scottish government's nature restoration fund as a habitat for species like rare dragonflies.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
The government has backed a number of species reintroduction programmes over the years as part of efforts to reverse this trend including re-establishing pine martens, beavers and whitefaced darter dragonflies.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
A research team led by Professors Mitsumasa Koyanagi and Akihisa Terakita at OMU's Graduate School of Science identified a specific opsin in dragonflies that responds to light at around 720 nm.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 9, 2026
We see trees, greenery, flowers, strawberries, butterflies and dragonflies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
Crouching just beside the cave mouth, the three children waited until there was a brief pause in the shooting, and then followed the dragonflies as they darted down the path.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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.
