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

And there was a vigorous cat chase at Yankee Stadium in 2021 on the same day that a mantis sat on a player’s head for two innings.

From Seattle Times • May 16, 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

Perhaps we may have noticed an oddly shaped insect of ferocious mien on a bush in the garden and been dimly aware that the praying mantis lives at the expense of other insects.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson