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; see 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

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

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

Beetles stridulate under various emotions, in the same manner as birds use their voices for many purposes besides singing to their mates.

From The Descent of Man by Darwin, Charles

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

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