katydid

American

[key-tee-did] / ˈkeɪ ti dɪd /

noun

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

katydid British

/ ˈkeɪtɪˌdɪd /

noun

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

"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 katydid

An Americanism dating back to 1745–55; imitative

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.

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

From Seattle Times

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

From BBC

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

From Scientific American

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

From New York Times

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.

From New York Times

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