INSECTA

Insecta, class Insecta, Hexapoda, class Hexapoda

(noun) insects; about five-sixths of all known animal species

Source: WordNet® 3.1


In*sec"ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Insect.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Definition: One of the classes of Arthropoda, including those that have one pair of antennæ, three pairs of mouth organs, and breathe air by means of tracheæ, opening by spiracles along the sides of the body. In this sense it includes the Hexapoda, or six-legged insects and the Myriapoda, with numerous legs. See Insect, n.

2. (Zoöl.)

Definition: In a more restricted sense, the Hexapoda alone. See Hexapoda.

3. (Zoöl.)

Definition: In the most general sense, the Hexapoda, Myriapoda, and Arachnoidea, combined.

Note: The typical Insecta, or hexapod insects, are divided into several orders, viz.: Hymenoptera, as the bees and ants; Diptera, as the common flies and gnats; Aphaniptera, or fleas; Lepidoptera, or moths and butterflies; Neuroptera, as the ant-lions and hellgamite; Coleoptera, or beetles; Hemiptera, as bugs, lice, aphids; Orthoptera, as grasshoppers and cockroaches; Pseudoneuroptera, as the dragon flies and termites; Euplexoptera, or earwings; Thysanura, as the springtails, podura, and lepisma. See these words in the Vocabulary.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

28 May 2025

AIR

(noun) a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing; “an air of mystery”; “the house had a neglected air”; “an atmosphere of defeat pervaded the candidate’s headquarters”; “the place had an aura of romance”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest collection of coffee pots belongs to Robert Dahl (Germany) and consists of 27,390 coffee pots as of 2 November 2012, in Rövershagen, Germany.

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