water strider
noun
: any of various long-legged bugs (family Gerridae) that move about on the surface of the water
Examples of water strider in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Measuring only 3 mm long, water striders of the genus Rhagovelia really are something special.
—
New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2025
Part of this limitation is owed to the micro-robots’ designs—the water strider bot can flap its limbs to propel itself atop water, but its natural inspiration actually uses its legs to row to move much faster.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Jan. 2024
Small, lightweight water striders, for instance, rely entirely on surface tension to stay afloat, while the larger, heavier basilisk lizards employ a slapping motion with their feet that creates pockets of air bubbles to keep from sinking.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 11 May 2020
The team was even able to create a robotic water strider capable of pushing itself along the water’s surface.
—Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 16 June 2017
On Earth only a few legged species, such as water strider insects, some aquatic birds and lizards, can run on water.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2015
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New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2025
Part of this limitation is owed to the micro-robots’ designs—the water strider bot can flap its limbs to propel itself atop water, but its natural inspiration actually uses its legs to row to move much faster.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Jan. 2024
Small, lightweight water striders, for instance, rely entirely on surface tension to stay afloat, while the larger, heavier basilisk lizards employ a slapping motion with their feet that creates pockets of air bubbles to keep from sinking.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 11 May 2020
The team was even able to create a robotic water strider capable of pushing itself along the water’s surface.
—Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 16 June 2017
On Earth only a few legged species, such as water strider insects, some aquatic birds and lizards, can run on water.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2015
Cite this Entry
“Water strider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20strider. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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