katydid

American  

[key-tee-did] / ˈkeɪ ti dɪd /

noun

katydids plural

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

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katydid British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• katydids
  plural

Etymology

Origin of katydid

An Americanism dating back to 1745–55; imitative

Explanation

A katydid is a type of grasshopper with extra-long antennae. You can hear katydids on summer nights making a loud, three-note sound. Like grasshoppers and crickets, katydids make noise by rubbing body parts together — in their case, by moving a leg against a wing and producing a sound that resembles their name. Katydids have also been known as "wide-horned grasshoppers," for the antennae that are often longer than their bodies. These insects are nocturnal and use camouflage, disguising themselves as green leaves to stay safe from predators.

Example Sentences

"There are tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands," Kiddie Katydid declared solemnly.

From The Tale of Kiddie Katydid by Smith, Harry L.

Kiddie Katydid had a neighbor who was a good deal like him.

From The Tale of Kiddie Katydid by Smith, Harry L.

The maids of honor who waited on his queen Katydid, were lady-bugs, butterflies, and goldsmiths, and his messengers were fire-flies and dragon-flies.

From Japanese Fairy World Stories from the Wonder-Lore of Japan by Ozawa

For a moment Chirpy thought that perhaps Kiddie Katydid didn’t know what he was talking about.

From The Tale of Chirpy Cricket by Bailey, Arthur Scott

As the butterfly dies, a stiffened Katydid scratches a last requiem on his 248 wing covers—“katy-didn’t—katy-did—kate—y”—and the succeeding moment of silence is broken by the sharp rattle of a woodpecker.

From The Log of the Sun A Chronicle of Nature's Year by Beebe, William