katydid

[key-tee-did]

noun

1. any of several large, usually green, American long-horned grasshoppers, the males of which produce a characteristic song.

katydid

/ ˈkeɪtɪˌdɪd /

noun

1. any typically green long-horned grasshopper of the genus Microcentrum and related genera, living among the foliage of trees in North America

Word History and Origins

Origin of katydid¹

An Americanism dating back to 1745–55; imitative

Word History and Origins

Origin of katydid¹

C18: of imitative origin

Example Sentences

The Mormon cricket is not a true cricket but a shield-backed katydid.

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The insects, which technically aren't crickets, are members of the katydid family and don't sting or bite.

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“Even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream.”

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At dusk, the hum of field crickets and cicadas fades out, and the katydids take over for the night shift.

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While related to modern crickets and katydids, these ancient arthropods left few direct descendants, making it difficult to decipher what these Mesozoic maestros sounded like.

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