Showing results for haltere. Search instead for halteres.

haltere

British

/ ˈhæltɪə, ˈhæltə /

noun

Also called: balancer. one of a pair of short projections in dipterous insects that are modified hind wings, used for maintaining equilibrium during flight

"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 haltere

C18: from Greek haltēres (plural) hand-held weights used as balancers or to give impetus in leaping, from hallesthai to leap

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.

Neurons near the wings, part of what is called the haltere circuit, do the computations and send signals to the wings to correct the problem.

From New York Times • Mar. 19, 2014

Exactly what math the neurons in the haltere system use is something for neuroscientists to investigate further.

From New York Times • Mar. 19, 2014

Its struggles register upon a knot of nerves at the base of the haltere, and tell the insect how it is doing in space.

From Time Magazine Archive

Pre-halter: a membranous scale in front of the true haltere of a fly.

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

Calypter: Diptera; the alula or squama when it covers the haltere.

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

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