mesothorax

American  

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

noun

plural

mesothoraxes, mesothoraces

1. 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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mesothorax British  

/ ˌmɛsəʊˈθɔːræks, ˌmɛsəʊθɔːˈræsɪk /

noun

1. the middle segment of the thorax of an insect, bearing the second pair of walking legs and the first pair of wings See also prothorax metathorax

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Other Word Forms

• mesothoracic adjective

Etymology

Origin of mesothorax

First recorded in 1820–30; meso- + thorax

Example Sentences

On either side we count nine stigmata, set as before on the mesothorax and the first eight abdominal segments.

From The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles by Teixeira de Mattos, Alexander

Lastly, we count nine pairs of stigmata: one pair on the mesothorax and the rest on the first eight segments of the abdomen.

From The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles by Teixeira de Mattos, Alexander

Metathorax: the third thoracic ring or segment; bears the hind legs and second pair of wings; variably distinct; sometimes closely united with the mesothorax and sometimes appearing as a portion of the abdomen.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.

The body is long and cylindrical, consisting of thirteen segments; the head is armed with powerful jaws; the three following segments, the future prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax, each bears a pair of simple articulated legs.

From On the Origin and Metamorphoses of Insects by Lubbock, John, Sir

These are the mesothorax and the first eight abdominal segments.

From The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles by Teixeira de Mattos, Alexander