dragonfly

noun

drag·​on·​fly ˈdra-gən-ˌflī 

: any of a suborder (Anisoptera) of odonate insects that are larger and stouter than damselflies, hold the wings horizontal in repose, and have rectal gills during the naiad stage

broadly : odonate

Illustration of dragonfly

Examples of dragonfly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The report documents 235 bird species in those reaches and 39 dragonfly species. —Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 23 Dec. 2024

His works include a large-scale interpretation of New Zealand's native Weta bug along the first fairway and a series of oversized dragonflies with six-foot wingspans adorning a lake by the sixth fairway. —Erik Matuszewski, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024

Just as birds, bees and dragonflies all fly using different wing structures, materials seem to pair electrons together in different ways. —Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 6 Dec. 2024

Insects with true color vision—like many bees, butterflies and dragonflies—can see not only many colors, but also ultraviolet wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum of humans. —Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dragonfly

noun

drag·​on·​fly -ˌflī 

: any of a group of large harmless insects that have four long wings held horizontal and sticking out instead of folded to the side next to the body when at rest and that feed especially on flies, gnats, and mosquitoes compare damselfly