katydid

ka·ty·did

noun \ˈkā-tē-ˌdid\

Definition of KATYDID

: any of various large green American long-horned grasshoppers usually having stridulating organs on the forewings of the males that produce a loud shrill sound

Illustration of KATYDID

Origin of KATYDID

imitative

First Known Use: 1784

Rhymes with KATYDID

arachnid, camelid, giant squid, ootid, overbid, pyramid, underbid

katydid

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Fork-tailed bush katydid (Scudderia furcata).—E.S. Ross

Any of numerous species in several subfamilies of the long-horned grasshopper family (Tettigoniidae). Generally green with long wings, katydids live on trees, bushes, or grasses, and many species resemble leaves. They are powerful jumpers; many species do not fly but merely flutter their wings during leaps. They feed chiefly on plant matter, though some also eat other insects. The true katydids of eastern North America are considered great singers; each species has its own repetitive song, which is produced only at night.