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

There’s something wonderfully timeless about pushing off from shore in a canoe as the paddles dip quietly through calm water as dragonflies skim by. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 29 June 2025

Dragonfly walk In the summer and early fall, dragonflies and damselflies migrate to warmer weather in California. —Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 2 June 2025

From the album cover, which depicts the shimmering wings of a dragonfly against a fiery red background, the pair project freedom and change. —Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 16 May 2025

Surprisingly, most of a dragonfly’s life is spent underwater in nymph form. —Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2025

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