SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

lacewing

play

noun lace·wing \ ˈlās-ˌwiŋ \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of lacewing

:any of various neuropterous insects (such as genera Chrysopa and Hemerobius) having delicate lacelike wing venation, long antennae, and often brilliant eyes — called also lacewing fly

See lacewing defined for kids

Recent Examples of lacewing from the Web

Eggs of green lacewings are affixed to hairlike stalks about a half-inch high, usually in a group on a leaf.

— margaret lauterbach, idahostatesman, "Beneficial insects can help your garden grow," 24 May 2017
These include the larvae of ladybugs and lacewings, which will chow on plant-destroying aphids all day, and parasitic wasps, which will leave humans alone but take down caterpillars, beetles, and flies.

— timothy dahl, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Weed Killer for Your Lawn," 8 May 2017

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

Illustration of lacewing

First Known Use of lacewing

1912

Learn More about lacewing

See words that rhyme with lacewing Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lacewing

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up lacewing? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

glabrous

play

smooth or hairless

BROWSE DICTIONARY

lace stitch

lace-up

lacewing

lacewood

lacework

Test Your Vocabulary

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

Which is a synonym of fuliginous?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

alt-59c17b8172892

'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Its origins are surprisingly murky.

alt-59c13729150dc

"Immune to" or "Immune from"?

Nobody is immune to this question.

alt-59bff395cf879

What's Going On With 'Nonplussed'?

Its recent usage is hard to shrug off.

alt-59bad350d88f1

Welcome to the New Words

From 'hive mind' to 'sriracha'

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless

Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals

Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz

Name that Color!

NEW! Additional colors! More obscure than before!

Take the quiz

True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game