mesothorax

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

/ ˌmɛz əˈθɔr æks, -ˈθoʊr-, ˌmɛs-, ˌmi zə-, -sə- /

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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.

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Origin of mesothorax

First recorded in 1820–30; meso- + thorax

OTHER WORDS FROM mesothorax

mes·o·tho·rac·ic

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

Words nearby mesothorax

mesosome, mesosphere, mesothelioma, mesothelium, mesotherapy, mesothorax, mesothorium, mesotron, mesovarium, mesovortex, Mesozoa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mesothorax in a sentence

The 17 prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax bear spines varying in number.
Journal of Entomology and Zoology, March 1917|Various
In Coleoptera it consists of a tense elastic membrane, which is quite covered by the Mesothorax.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)|William Kirby
This term may be applied to the Mesothorax in heteropterous Hemiptera, in which that part lies buried under the Prothorax.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. IV (of 4)|William Kirby
These beetles, when irritated, make a squeaking chirrup by rubbing together the prothorax and mesothorax.
The Dawn of Reason|James Weir

The mesothorax is triangular, with the apex posteriorly, and bears the greatly atrophied first pair of wings.
Handbook of Medical Entomology|William Albert Riley

British Dictionary definitions for mesothorax

mesothorax

/ (ˌmɛsəʊˈθɔːræks) /

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 forms of mesothorax

mesothoracic (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