Lexic.us

Definition of Daddy longlegs

1. Noun. Long-legged slender flies that resemble large mosquitoes but do not bite.

2. Noun. Spiderlike arachnid with a small rounded body and very long thin legs.

Definition of Daddy longlegs

1. Noun. (UK Ireland) The cranefly; any insect of the family ''Tipulidae''. ¹

2. Noun. (Australia Canada New Zealand US) Any (non-spider) arachnid of the order ''Opiliones'', mostly with long thin legs; the harvestman. ¹

3. Noun. (context: loosely) The daddy long-legs spider, any spider of the family Pholcidae. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Medical Definition of Daddy longlegs

1. 1. An arachnidan of the genus Phalangium, and allied genera, having a small body and four pairs of long legs; called also harvestman, carter, and grandfather longlegs. 2. A name applied to many species of dipterous insects of the genus Tipula, and allied genera, with slender bodies, and very long, slender legs; the crane fly; called also father longlegs. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Daddy Longlegs

daddie daddies dadding daddio daddle daddled daddles daddling daddock daddocks

daddy daddy-long-legs daddy-longlegs daddy-o daddy long-legs spider daddy longlegs (current term) daddyhood daddyish dadgum dadgummit

dadlike dado dado plane dado rail dado rails dadoed dadoes dadoing dados dadrock

Literary usage of Daddy longlegs

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Handbook of Nature-study for Teachers and Parents, Based on the Cornell by Anna Botsford Comstock (1911)
"DADDY-LONGLEGS, OR GRANDFATHER GREYBEARD Teacher's Story WONDER if there ever was a country child who has not grasped firmly the leg of one of these little ..."

2. Great Victorians: Memories and Personalities by Thomas Hay Sweet Escott (1916)
"... own account of his conversion to Ritualism—The Vicar of East Brent and the school inspector— The latter welcomed with " Old daddy longlegs wouldn't say ..."

3. Ortotteri agrari cioè dei diversi insetti dell'ordine degli ortotteri nocivi by Eleanor Anne Ormerod, Adolfo Targioni-Tozzetti (1878)
"Information was also sent in of Barley in Cornwall being destroyed by Daddy Longlegs grubs; and notes communicated by Mr. C. White- head of attack (which in ..."

4. The English Illustrated Magazine (1888)
"daddy longlegs accomplished the loan of a crush-hat, and with his portmanteau ... daddy longlegs went back to his hotel in the small hours of the morning, ..."

5. Guide to Methods of Insect Life and Prevention and Remedy of Insect Ravage by Eleanor Anne Ormerod (1884)
"daddy longlegs: 1, larva; 2, pupa-case standing up in the ground; 3, fly; 4, eggs. IN our yesterday's Lecture I showed how we might tell, in a general way, ..."

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