mantis

American  

[man-tis] / ˈmæn tɪs /

noun

plural

mantises, mantes

1. any of several predaceous insects of the order Mantidae, having a long prothorax and typically holding the forelegs in an upraised position as if in prayer.

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mantis British  

/ ˈmæntɪs /

noun

1. Also called: praying mantis.  any carnivorous typically green insect of the family Mantidae, of warm and tropical regions, having a long body and large eyes and resting with the first pair of legs raised as if in prayer: order Dictyoptera See also cockroach

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Etymology

Origin of mantis

1650–60; < New Latin < Greek mántis prophet, kind of insect; akin to mania

Compare meaning

How does mantis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• mantid vs. mantis

Example Sentences

His proposed addition to Marcel Breuer’s original Whitney Museum would have hovered above it with predatory menace, like an 11-story concrete praying mantis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

"In mantis shrimp competitors exchange bullet-like hits on each other's armored tail plates, or telsons, during fights over shelters," Green explained.

From Science Daily • May 10, 2024

When a prey insect buzzes by to look for nectar, the mantis rapidly strikes.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 28, 2023

We chatted and fed some house flies to a large praying mantis perched on the branch of a trumpet flower shrub.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2023

Picture a four-foot-eleven praying mantis suffering from extreme malnutrition, with a long nose and glasses that were last in style when President Truman wore them.

From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman