instar

[ in-stahr ]

noun

an insect in any one of its periods of postembryonic growth between molts.

Origin of instar

First recorded in 1890–95; from New Latin, Latin īnstar “counterpart, equivalent”

Words Nearby instar

Other definitions for instar (2 of 2)

instar²

[ in-stahr ]

verb (used with object),in·starred, in·star·ring.

to set with or as if with stars.
Archaic.
- to place as a star.
- to make a star of.

Origin of instar

First recorded in 1585–95; in-¹ + star

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use instar in a sentence

Greek taken singly is, to use an indispensable Latin word, instar, the knowledge of all other languages.
The Posthumous Works of Thomas De Quincey, Vol. 1 (2 vols) | Thomas De Quincey
Que Germania sic dicta erat, quia instar ramorum germinancium ab arbore, sic nomen regnaque germania nuncupantur.
Beowulf | R. W. Chambers
Is vulgo putatur in tenebris Carbonis instar lucere; fortassis quia Pyropus seu Anthrax appellatus a veteribus fuit.
Experiments and Considerations Touching Colours (1664) | Robert Boyle
Testa subulata instar turris, anfractuum undecim, reticulata striis elevatis decussantibus punctis contiguationem eminentibus.
The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 4 | Various
Sixty-nine per cent of the warbles were in the third instar stage, and the rest were in the second instar stage.
Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado | Charles L. Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for instar

instar

/ (ˈɪnstɑː) /

noun

the stage in the development of an insect between any two moults

Origin of instar

C19: New Latin from Latin: image

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

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