Lexic.us

Definition of Mantis

1. Noun. Predacious long-bodied large-eyed insect of warm regions; rests with forelimbs raised as in prayer.

Definition of Mantis

1. n. Any one of numerous species of voracious orthopterous insects of the genus Mantis, and allied genera. They are remarkable for their slender grotesque forms, and for holding their stout anterior legs in a manner suggesting hands folded in prayer. The common American species is M. Carolina.

Definition of Mantis

1. Noun. Any of various large insects of the order ''Mantodea'' that catch insects or other small animals with their powerful forelegs. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Mantis

1. a predatory insect [n -TISES or -TES]

Medical Definition of Mantis

1. Any one of numerous species of voracious orthopterous insects of the genus Mantis, and allied genera. They are remarkable for their slender grotesque forms, and for holding their stout anterior legs in a manner suggesting hands folded in prayer. The common American species is M. Carolina. Mantis shrimp. See Sguilla. Origin: NL, fr. Gr. A prophet. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Mantis

Literary usage of Mantis

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

1. The Popular Science Monthly by Harry Houdini Collection (Library of Congress) (1874)
"This trait is connected with another character by which the mantis differs from the foregoing groups, for, while they are vegetarians, this insect is ..."

2. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science by Kansas Academy of Science (1908)
"... the fall of 1906 I found numerous packets of the *-J eggs of the common mantis, ... concerning the occurrence of a chalcid parasite in mantis eggs ; so, ..."

3. The Century Dictionary: An Encyclopedic Lexicon of the English Language by William Dwight Whitney (1890)
"A similar reduction of mantis to man- occurs in man- suete, ... so called from the likeness to a mantis, the prothorax being long and slender, ..."

4. The Canadian Entomologist by Entomological Society of Canada (1863-1871), Entomological Society of Canada (1951- ), Entomological Society of Ontario (1908)
"... FOSSIL mantis. rV I. l>. A. COCKERELL, BOULDER, COLORADO. ... have been described from Tertiary formations : mantis ..."

5. Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society by Cambridge Philosophical Society (1904)
"The insects exhibited show the pupal or nymph stage in the development of this mantis. They were hatched from the egg about January 18th of this year, ..."

6. Entomological News and Proceedings of the Entomological Section of the by Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia Entomological Section (1914)
"mantis religiosa Linnaeus, in Rochester, New York, in 1919 (Orthop. ... This must have aroused the mantis from its hiding place. Being unaware of its habits ..."

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