odonate

[ ohd-n-eyt, oh-don-eyt ]

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the order Odonata, comprising the damselflies and dragonflies.

noun

1. any of numerous large predatory aquatic insects of the order Odonata, occurring worldwide and characterized by two pairs of membranous wings.

Word History and Origins

Origin of odonate¹

< New Latin Odonata (1792), irregular < Greek odṓn tooth + New Latin -ata -ata ¹

Example Sentences

Dragonflies are aggressive hunters, snacking on mosquitoes and gnats, too, and have had about 300 million years to perfect the process, said Gareth Blakesley, coordinator of the Illinois Odonate Survey, a volunteer group that measures dragonfly density throughout the state.

From Washington Times

Odonate: bearing toothed mouth parts, like those of dragon flies.

From Project Gutenberg