grasshopper

[ gras-hop-er ]

noun

1. any of numerous herbivorous, orthopterous insects, especially of the families Acrididae and Tettigoniidae, having the hind legs adapted for leaping and having chewing mouth parts, some species being highly destructive to vegetation. Compare locust ( def 1 ), long-horned grasshopper.
2. a small, light airplane used on low-flying missions, as for reconnaissance.
3. Grass·hop·per, Military. a U.S. antipersonnel mine that jumps off the ground when activated by proximate body heat and sprays shrapnel over a lethal radius of 350 feet (107 meters).
4. a cocktail of light cream, green crème de menthe, and white crème de menthe or crème de cacao.

grasshopper

/ ˈɡrɑːsˌhɒpə /

noun

1. any orthopterous insect of the families Acrididae ( short-horned grasshoppers ) and Tettigoniidae ( long-horned grasshoppers ), typically terrestrial, feeding on plants, and producing a ticking sound by rubbing the hind legs against the leathery forewings See also locust katydid
2. knee-high to a grasshopper informal.
   very young or very small
3. an iced cocktail of equal parts of crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and cream
4. modifier unable to concentrate on any one subject for long

   a grasshopper mind

Word History and Origins

Origin of grasshopper¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English; grass ( def ), hopper ( def )

Idioms and Phrases

see knee-high to a grasshopper .

Example Sentences

“They said, ‘Sit down, Grasshopper.

From Los Angeles Times

Of the thousands of shorter items were also found in Darwin's library, such as an issue of a German scientific periodical sent to him in 1877 that contained the first published photographs of bacteria and another article amusingly entitled The hateful or Colorado grasshopper.

From Science Daily

Malaria, climate change, and the 'grasshopper effect'

From Science Daily

DDT can travel vast distances through what is known as the 'grasshopper effect,' evaporating with warm air and returning to Earth with rain and snow in colder regions, where it persists in the Arctic food chain.

From Science Daily

"If someone reported us, we'd pick up the food and run, like a grasshopper," he said.  

From BBC

Related Words

• ant
• aphid
• bee
• beetle
• butterfly
• cockroach
• dragonfly
• flea
• fruit fly
• gnat
• ladybug
• mite
• mosquito
• moth
• pest
• spider
• termite
• tick