Standard Lemma guide

odonate

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Any carnivorous insect of the order Odonata; a dragonfly or damselfly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

large primitive predatory aquatic insect having two pairs of membranous wings

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: insect

Narrower terms: dragonfly, darning needle, devil's darning needle, sewing needle, snake feeder, snake doctor, mosquito hawk, skeeter hawk, damselfly

History

Etymology

From translingual Odonata, from Ancient Greek ὀδούς (odoús, “tooth”), apparently because they have teeth on their mandibles, although most insects have toothed mandibles.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: odonatu — carnivore insect
  • Finnish: sudenkorento — carnivore insect