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water boatman

American

noun

any of numerous aquatic insects of the family Corixidae, having paddlelike hind legs.

water boatman British

noun

any of various aquatic bugs of the families Notonectidae and Corixidae, having a flattened body and oarlike hind legs, adapted for swimming

"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

Etymology

Origin of water boatman

First recorded in 1805–15

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.

The piece features hundreds of sounds, but his favorite is the noise of the insect known as the water boatman in the moor’s pond, said to be the loudest animal relative to its body size.

From New York Times • Aug. 5, 2016

Wetsuit is so buoyant – feel like a giant water boatman insect, skittering sideways.

From The Guardian • Aug. 26, 2011

Well, good-by and good luck to you, little water boatman.

From The Insect Folk by Morley, Margaret Warner

The water boatman breathes by spiracles, and carries his supply of air with him.

From The Insect Folk by Morley, Margaret Warner

Unlike the water boatman, however, its back is not flat but is shaped like the keel of a boat.

From The Insect Folk by Morley, Margaret Warner

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