: any of an order or suborder (Mantodea and especially family Mantidae) of large usually green insects that feed on other insects and clasp their prey in forelimbs held up as if in prayer
Illustration of mantis
Examples of mantis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebAnd there was a vigorous cat chase at Yankee Stadium in 2021 on the same day that a mantis sat on a player’s head for two innings.—Victor Mather, New York Times, 16 May 2024 Praying mantis eggs, laid in insulating foam cases last fall before the mother mantis died, are also about to hatch.—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2024 The episode featuring the mighty mantis and spider above was shot in a Texas backyard and included a jet-setting monarch butterfly working on their migrating north.—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 Cockerill and the team addressed that in this series by not giving the bugs a name and showcasing the very real struggles in their lives, from outrunning a hungry mantis, finding food, to avoiding being squished by our shoes.—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Jan. 2024 There was a silky black chicken hot pot, giant mantis prawns, and a particularly delightful 2 a.m. run-in with handmade siu mai.—The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 6 Dec. 2023 Scientists have discovered the mantis also has unique 3D eyesight that is now being studied for its potential use to improve vision in robots.—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Oct. 2023 There are nearly 2,000 different mantis species worldwide, found mostly in the more tropical or temperate climates.—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Oct. 2023 For the First Time, A Praying Mantis Has Been Caught Fishing But some mantis species take concealment very seriously.—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 8 May 2023
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Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Greek, literally, diviner, prophet; akin to Greek mainesthai to be mad — more at mania
: any of various large usually green insects related to the grasshoppers and cockroaches that feed upon other insects and hold their prey in the stout spiny first pair of legs
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