gryllus

noun

gryl·​lus
ˈgriləs
1
capitalized : a genus (the type of the family Gryllidae) of crickets once construed as including all known crickets but now restricted to certain typical Old World forms compare acheta
2
plural grylli
-iˌlī
[Latin] : a comic combination of animals or of animal and human forms in Greco-Roman glyptic art especially in intaglios

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, cricket, grasshopper, a kind of comic figure, from Greek gryllos Egyptian dance, performer of an Egyptian dance, comic figure, caricature

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Cite this Entry

“Gryllus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gryllus. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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