stridulate

American  

[strij-uh-leyt] / ˈstrɪdʒ əˌleɪt /

verb (used without object)

stridulated, stridulating

1. to produce a shrill, grating sound, as a cricket does, by rubbing together certain parts of the body; shrill.

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stridulate British  

/ ˈstrɪdjʊˌleɪt, ˈstrɪdjʊˌleɪtərɪ /

verb

1. (intr) (of insects such as the cricket) to produce sounds by rubbing one part of the body against another

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Other Word Forms

• stridulation noun
• stridulator noun
• stridulatory adjective
• unstridulating adjective

Etymology

Origin of stridulate

First recorded in 1830–40; back formation from stridulation; stridulous, -ate ¹, -ion

Example Sentences

Like crickets and katydids, they can stridulate by rubbing its body parts together to attract a mate or ward off potential predators.

From Scientific American • Apr. 26, 2013

Many insects stridulate by rubbing together specially modified parts of their hard integuments.

From The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals by Darwin, Charles

I then removed the antennæ of the male, and again made the female stridulate; the male heard her, and at once crawled toward her, although his antennæ were entirely removed.

From The Dawn of Reason or, Mental Traits in the Lower Animals by Weir, James

Many grasshoppers stridulate by rubbing the hind legs across strong nervures on the fore wings.

From The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Section S by Project Gutenberg

The insects which employ the fourth method also stridulate during night.

From The Scrap Book, Volume 1, No. 6 August 1906 by Various