mesothorax

[mez-uh-thawr-aks, -thohr-, mes-, mee-zuh-, -suh-]

noun, plural mes·o·tho·rax·es, mes·o·tho·ra·ces

[mez-uh-thawr-uh-seez, -thohr-, mes-, mee-zuh-, -suh-] /ˌmɛz əˈθɔr əˌsiz, -ˈθoʊr-, ˌmɛs-, ˌmi zə-, -sə-/.

the middle segment of the three divisions of the thorax of an insect, bearing the second pair of legs and the first pair of wings.

Origin of mesothorax

First recorded in 1820–30; meso- + thorax

Related formsmes·o·tho·rac·ic

[mez-uh-thaw-ras-ik, -thoh-, mes-, mee-zuh-, -suh-] /ˌmɛz ə θɔˈræs ɪk, -θoʊ-, ˌmɛs-, ˌmi zə-, -sə-/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for mesothorax

Historical Examples of mesothorax

These are the mesothorax and the first eight abdominal segments.
The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles
Jean Henri Fabre
When it is covered by the mesothorax; it is then usually a mere membrane.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. IV (of 4)
William Kirby
Prothoracic segment a little longer than the mesothorax which, in turn, slightly exceeds the metathorax.
Journal of Entomology and Zoology
Horace Gunthorp
The next segment is the mesothorax, which is immovably fused to the next thoracic segment.
Elementary Zoology, Second Edition
Vernon L. Kellogg
Lastly, we count nine pairs of stigmata: one pair on the mesothorax and the rest on the first eight segments of the abdomen.
The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles
Jean Henri Fabre

British Dictionary definitions for mesothorax

mesothorax

noun plural -raxes or -races (-rəˌsiːz)

the middle segment of the thorax of an insect, bearing the second pair of walking legs and the first pair of wingsSee also prothorax, metathorax

Derived Formsmesothoracic (ˌmɛsəʊθɔːˈræsɪk), adjective

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