springtail
noun
spring·tail
ˈspriŋ-ˌtāl 
: any of an order (Collembola) of small primitive wingless arthropods that are either classified as insects or are placed in a related class (Entognatha), that have internal mouthparts enclosed in folds of the head, usually possess a furcula used for jumping, exhibit incomplete metamorphosis, feed especially on fungi and decaying vegetation, and are typically found in moist or wet surroundings (such as soil, on the surface of water or melting snow, or in caves)
called also collembolan
Examples of springtail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The spores were then able to pass through the springtail’s digestive tracts and emerge ready for action from the other end.
—
Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 12 June 2025
The mechanism is complicated, but here’s the gist: A lot of things that salamanders eat, including springtails and beetle larvae, chew up leaves on the forest floor.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 18 June 2024
The reason that the spider can survive this high up remains somewhat of a mystery, although it is known to eat flies and springtails for nourishment.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024
That list would certainly include springtails, sowbugs, pillbugs, millipedes, slugs, fungi and others.
—oregonlive, 26 Aug. 2023
Engineers at Georgia Tech are the first to study the mechanics of springtails, which leap in the water to avoid predators.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Nov. 2022
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Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 12 June 2025
The mechanism is complicated, but here’s the gist: A lot of things that salamanders eat, including springtails and beetle larvae, chew up leaves on the forest floor.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 18 June 2024
The reason that the spider can survive this high up remains somewhat of a mystery, although it is known to eat flies and springtails for nourishment.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024
That list would certainly include springtails, sowbugs, pillbugs, millipedes, slugs, fungi and others.
—oregonlive, 26 Aug. 2023
Engineers at Georgia Tech are the first to study the mechanics of springtails, which leap in the water to avoid predators.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Nov. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Springtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/springtail. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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