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definitions

leaf insect

noun

any of several orthopterous insects of the family Phillidae, of southern Asia and the East Indies, having a body that resembles a leaf in color and form.

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Nearby words

  1. leaf bud,
  2. leaf butterfly,
  3. leaf coral,
  4. leaf fat,
  5. leaf gap,
  6. leaf lard,
  7. leaf lettuce,
  8. leaf miner,
  9. leaf mold,
  10. leaf monkey

Origin of leaf insect

First recorded in 1860–65
Also called walking leaf.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for leaf insect

leaf insect

noun

any of various mostly tropical Asian insects of the genus Phyllium and related genera, having a flattened leaflike body: order PhasmidaSee also stick insect
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