metathorax

[ met-uh-thawr-aks, -thohr- ]

/ ˌmɛt əˈθɔr æks, -ˈθoʊr- /

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noun, plural met·a·tho·rax·es, met·a·tho·ra·ces

[met-uh-thawr-uh-seez, -thohr-]. /ˌmɛt əˈθɔr əˌsiz, -ˈθoʊr-/.

the posterior division of the thorax of an insect, bearing the third pair of legs and the second pair of wings.

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Origin of metathorax

First recorded in 1810–20; meta- + thorax

OTHER WORDS FROM metathorax

met·a·tho·rac·ic

[met-uh-thaw-ras-ik, -thoh-], /ˌmɛt ə θɔˈræs ɪk, -θoʊ-/, adjective

Words nearby metathorax

metathalamus, metatheory, metatherian, metathesis, metathesize, metathorax, metatoluidine, metatrophic, metatropic dwarfism, metaverse, Metaxas

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use metathorax in a sentence

The 17 prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax bear spines varying in number.
Journal of Entomology and Zoology, March 1917|Various
The metathorax, or last segment of the thorax, is a little larger still in diameter and protrudes.
The Life of the Fly|J. Henri Fabre
Thorax narrow, deeply strangulated at the base of the metathorax.
Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3|Various
The upper side of this is the metathorax, and its lower side the postpectus.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)|William Kirby

The metathorax bears the hind pair of wings and the third pair of legs.
Butterflies Worth Knowing|Clarence M. Weed

British Dictionary definitions for metathorax

metathorax

/ (ˌmɛtəˈθɔːræks) /

noun plural -raxes or -races (-rəˌsiːz)

the third and last segment of an insect's thorax, which bears the third pair of walking legs and the second pair of wingsSee also prothorax, mesothorax

Derived forms of metathorax

metathoracic (ˌmɛtəθɔːˈræsɪk), 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