lacewing

noun lace·wing \ ˈlās-ˌwiŋ \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

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

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Recent Examples of lacewing from the Web

Then the lacewing eats the stunned, farted-upon termite.

— brian resnick, Vox, "Farts: which animals do, which don’t, and why," 3 Apr. 2018
At the coloring book table were photos of a brown lacewing, a bug that Darwin collected on his expedition.

— roger showley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Charles Darwin's birthday marked with cake, a live tortoise at Natural History Museum," 11 Feb. 2018
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.