Definitions for Dragonfly
ˈdræg ənˌflaɪdrag·on·f·ly

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. dragonfly, darning needle, devil's darning needle, sewing needle, snake feeder, snake doctor, mosquito hawk, skeeter hawknoun

   slender-bodied non-stinging insect having iridescent wings that are outspread at rest; adults and nymphs feed on mosquitoes etc.

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. dragonflynoun

   An insect of the suborder Anisoptera with four long transparent wings held perpendicular to a long body.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Dragonflynoun

   A fierce stinging fly.

   Etymology: dragon and fly.

   The body of the cantharides is bright coloured; and it may be, that the delicate coloured dragonflies may have likewise some corrosive quality. Francis Bacon, Natural History, №. 729.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Dragonfly

   A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations around the world. Adult dragonflies are characterized by a pair of large, multifaceted compound eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the closely related damselflies, which make up the other odonatan infraorder (Zygoptera) and are similar in body plan though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Dragonflies are predatory insects, both in their aquatic nymphs stage (also known as naiads) and as adults. In some species, the nymphal stage lasts for up to five years, and the adult stage may be as long as ten weeks, but most species have an adult lifespan in the order of five weeks or less, and some survive for only a few days. They are fast, agile fliers capable of highly accurate aerial ambush, sometimes migrating across oceans, and often live near water. They have a uniquely complex mode of reproduction involving indirect insemination, delayed fertilization, and sperm competition. During mating, the male grasps the female at the back of the head, and the female curls her abdomen under her body to pick up sperm from the male's secondary genitalia at the front of his abdomen, forming the "heart" or "wheel" posture. Fossils of very large dragonfly-like insects, sometimes called griffinflies, are found from 325 million years ago (Mya) in Upper Carboniferous rocks; these had wingspans up to about 750 mm (30 in), though they were only distant relatives, not true dragonflies. Dragonflies are represented in human culture on artefacts such as pottery, rock paintings, statues and Art Nouveau jewellery. They are used in traditional medicine in Japan and China, and caught for food in Indonesia. They are symbols of courage, strength, and happiness in Japan, but seen as sinister in European folklore. Their bright colours and agile flight are admired in the poetry of Lord Tennyson and the prose of H. E. Bates.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. dragonfly

   A dragonfly is a type of insect characterized by its large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body. They belong to the order Odonata, and are typically found near water bodies, since their larvae, known as "nymphs", are aquatic. Dragonflies are often admired for their agile flight and vibrant colors, and are predators feeding on insects like mosquitoes and flies.

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Dragonfly

   A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera. It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can sometimes be mistaken for damselflies, which are morphologically similar; however, adults can be differentiated by the fact that the wings of most dragonflies are held away from, and perpendicular to, the body when at rest. Dragonflies possess six legs, but most of them cannot walk well. Dragonflies are among the fastest flying insects in the world. Dragonflies are important predators that eat mosquitoes, and other small insects like flies, bees, ants, wasps, and very rarely butterflies. They are usually found around marshes, lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands because their larvae, known as "nymphs", are aquatic. Some 5680 different species of dragonflies are known in the world today. Though dragonflies are predators, they themselves are subject to predation by birds, lizards, frogs, spiders, fish, water bugs, and even other large dragonflies.

CrunchBaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Dragonfly

   Dragonfly has a mission to create and provide a world-class multi-media content delivery network that builds revenue through engagement, retention and advanced metrics. Their technology Ëœlab™, known affectionately as the eBarn, is where the core team of architects and engineers work and innovate, imagining and evolving Dragonfly into the seamless and dynamic multi-media communications experience.

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. dragonfly

   A type of insect.

   We love to sit by the lake during the spring and summer months and watch the dragonflies take off and land, what a sight.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on March 29, 2016  

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. dragonfly

   Song lyrics by dragonfly -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by dragonfly on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Odonate

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce Dragonfly?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Dragonfly in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Dragonfly in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Dragonfly in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of Dragonfly in a Sentence

1. Jonathan Davis:

   These telescopes were designed to look for diffuse light around galaxies. Not in the context of dark matter, but you can repurpose the data to look for this glow, [The Dragonfly telescopes] are really good at looking for this high contrast between the really bright galactic center and the really dim outskirts of galaxies.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Dragonfly
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Dragonfly
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=Dragonfly
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Dragonfly
7. ^ CrunchBase
   https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/dragonfly
8. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Dragonfly