odonate

American

[ohd-n-eyt, oh-don-eyt] / ˈoʊd nˌeɪt, oʊˈdɒn eɪt /

adjective

belonging or pertaining to the order Odonata, comprising the damselflies and dragonflies.

noun

any of numerous large predatory aquatic insects of the order Odonata, occurring worldwide and characterized by two pairs of membranous wings.

Etymology

Origin of odonate

< New Latin Odonata (1792), irregular < Greek odṓn tooth + New Latin -ata -ata ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Dragonflies are aggressive hunters, snacking on mosquitoes and gnats, too, and have had about 300 million years to perfect the process, said Gareth Blakesley, coordinator of the Illinois Odonate Survey, a volunteer group that measures dragonfly density throughout the state.

From Washington Times

Odonate: bearing toothed mouth parts, like those of dragon flies.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023