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

As for why so many dragonflies end up in Milwaukee, eastward winds push the dragonflies toward Lake Michigan during their migration, Jackson said. —Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 4 Sep. 2024

The trail is a simple, easy trip around the water, ducking in and out of pines and over the dams where blooming shrubs attract swarms of butterflies, bees and dragonflies. —Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 25 Oct. 2024

Examining the wing shapes of extinct species of dragonflies or lacewings, for example, would improve our understanding of what conditions led to the modern versions that flit around today. —Byrodrigo Pérez Ortega, science.org, 25 Oct. 2024

Butterflies dipped and dived, dragonflies buzzing from one wet flower to another. —Monisha Rajesh, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 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