waterscorpion

[waw-ter-skawr-pee-uh n, wot-er-]

noun

any of several predaceous aquatic bugs of the family Nepidae, having clasping front legs and a long respiratory tube at the rear of the abdomen: capable of biting if handled.

Origin of waterscorpion

First recorded in 1675–85; water + scorpion

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

British Dictionary definitions for water scorpion

water scorpion

noun

any of various long-legged aquatic insects of the heteropterous family Nepidae, which breathe by means of a long spinelike tube that projects from the rear of the body and penetrates the surface of the water

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