metathorax

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

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.

Origin of metathorax

First recorded in 1810–20; meta- + thorax

Related formsmet·a·tho·rac·ic

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for metathorax

Historical Examples of metathorax

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
"And metathorax," chimed in the frump, her head close to his.
The Haunted Pajamas
Francis Perry Elliott
Prothoracic segment a little longer than the mesothorax which, in turn, slightly exceeds the metathorax.
Journal of Entomology and Zoology
Horace Gunthorp
The ventral part of this segment is dovetailed into the ventral part of the metathorax and appears to be part of it.
Elementary Zoology, Second Edition
Vernon L. Kellogg

British Dictionary definitions for metathorax

metathorax

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 Formsmetathoracic (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