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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Recent Examples of katydid from the Web
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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.
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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.
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Wing veins are often used to tell katydid species apart.
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But Naskrecki’s katydid will be confirmed as a new species.
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Male dance flies, katydids and certain spiders offer a free meal to the objects of their affection
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When the darkness crept in, the cool did, too, and confused crickets and katydids started their goodnight chorus.
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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.
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Yuqing Zhu The Idaho Statesman Mormon crickets are actually flightless katydids and not true crickets.
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
KATYDID Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of katydid for English Language Learners
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: a large green insect that looks like a large grasshopper
KATYDID Defined for Kids
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.
Learn More about katydid
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See words that rhyme with katydid Spanish Central: Translation of katydid Nglish: Translation of katydid for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about katydid
Seen and Heard
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