katydid

noun ka·ty·did \ 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

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See katydid defined for kids

Recent Examples of katydid from the Web

New insect species are discovered on a regular basis—just this month researchers detailed a wasp that takes over another species' mind, a moth that was named after Donald Trump and two species of katydid in Borneo whose females are pink.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "This 100-Million-Year-Old Insect Trapped in Amber Defines New Order," 31 Jan. 2017
There’s just something about a southern TV show—the manners, the accents, the katydids chirping in the background, heck, even the familiar dusty boots the characters wear remind us of home.

— Southern Living, "The 9 Best Southern TV Shows of All Time," 19 Jan. 2017
Wing veins are often used to tell katydid species apart.

— peter kirk, National Geographic, "Two New Bug Species Have All-Pink Females," 9 Jan. 2017
But Naskrecki’s katydid will be confirmed as a new species.

— richard conniff, Smithsonian, "A New Age of Discovery Is Happening Right Now in the Remote Forests of Suriname," 29 Mar. 2017
Male dance flies, katydids and certain spiders offer a free meal to the objects of their affection

— joshua rapp learn, Smithsonian, "Why Snail Sex Is Like a Box of Chocolates," 20 July 2017
When the darkness crept in, the cool did, too, and confused crickets and katydids started their goodnight chorus.

— beth thames, AL.com, "If you didn't look up, did the eclipse still happen?," 23 Aug. 2017
Male katydids, for example, produce a spermatophore during mating that can be up to 30 percent of their body mass, which contains both ejaculate and a mass of edible jelly.

— joshua rapp learn, Smithsonian, "Why Snail Sex is Like a Box of Chocolates," 21 July 2017
Yuqing Zhu The Idaho Statesman Mormon crickets are actually flightless katydids and not true crickets.

— hailey ross and katy moeller, idahostatesman, "Mormon crickets are back — 3 inches long and wreaking havoc in Idaho," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'katydid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Some animal names have been created through imitation of the sounds the animals make. The name katydid is an example of this process. These insects were given this name because the noise they make was thought to sound like “Katy-did, Katy-didn't” repeated over and over.

Illustration of katydid

Origin and Etymology of katydid

imitative

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First Known Use: 1784

in the meaning defined above

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KATYDID Defined for English Language Learners

katydid

noun

Definition of katydid for English Language Learners

: a large green insect that looks like a large grasshopper

KATYDID Defined for Kids

katydid

noun ka·ty·did \ ˈkā-tē-ˌdid \

Definition of katydid for Students

: a large green American grasshopper with males that make shrill noises

History for katydid

Some people like to pretend that the sounds insects make are words. When a male katydid rubs his front wings together, it makes a rough noise. Some think it sounds as if he says, “Katy did, Katy didn't,” over and over. That is how the katydid got its name.