insectarium

American

[in-sek-tair-ee-uhm] / ˌɪn sɛkˈtɛər i əm /

noun

plural

insectariums, insectaria

a place in which a collection of living insects is kept, as in a zoo.

insectarium British

/ ɪnˈsɛktərɪ, ˌɪnsɛkˈtɛərɪəm /

noun

a place where living insects are kept, bred, and studied

"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 insectarium

From New Latin, dating back to 1880–85; see origin at insect, -arium

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.

An insectarium with a monumental resin model of a beehive also has a display of live leafcutter ants at work; inside a nearby butterfly vivarium, you can watch pupae in various stages of metamorphosis.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2023

The wing houses an insectarium and a butterfly conservatory, classrooms, laboratories and more.

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2023

Other features include a room with 80 species of fluttering butterflies and an insectarium that hosts a live colony of a half-million leafcutter ants.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 26, 2023

And then there are the ants: The museum shipped in around 500,000 leafcutter ants to build a massive colony in the insectarium.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 26, 2023

The average orchard seems better designed to be an insectarium for the cultivation of pests than for the growth of good fruit.

From England by Fox, Frank, Sir

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