Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of numerous predatory insects of the order Odonata, having large eyes, a long slender body, and two pairs of transparent veined wings, especially those of the order Anisoptera, which hold the wings outstretched when at rest, as distinguished from the damselflies.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An insect of the suborder Anisoptera with four long transparent wings held perpendicular to a long body.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun slender-bodied non-stinging insect having iridescent wings that are outspread at rest; adults and nymphs feed on mosquitoes etc.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From dragon +‎ fly.

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Examples

  • In Newyork, the dragonfly is symbolic of success and happiness.

    Gentle Set | SciFi, Fantasy & Horror Collectibles 2009

  • His eyes closed but the lids burned till he opened them again, and when he opened them the dragonfly was there.

    The Silence 2010

  • His eyes closed but the lids burned till he opened them again, and when he opened them the dragonfly was there.

    The Silence 2010

  • His eyes closed but the lids burned till he opened them again, and when he opened them the dragonfly was there.

    The Silence 2010

  • The bee, the robin, the frog, and the dragonfly are all made using wax that I dyed with black cobalt stain.

    Kater’s Art » Blog Archive » Wall Mosaic 1: Girl with Scythe 2010

  • We would not call a dragonfly eye and a human eye homologous—they seem so different, in so many ways, and the evidence suggests that our last common ancestor was eyeless, with little more than photosensitive spots.

    PZ Myers - The Deepest Links (on Evolution) William Harryman 2009

  • The city of Calio is home to all the technological advances created by Rendor, mostly in the form of airships and the smaller ingenious flying craft-- known as the dragonfly-- that patrol the skies against the mostly forgotten threat of the Skylords.

    Giveaway & Review: Starfinder by John Marco 2009

  • The city of Calio is home to all the technological advances created by Rendor, mostly in the form of airships and the smaller ingenious flying craft-- known as the dragonfly-- that patrol the skies against the mostly forgotten threat of the Skylords.

    Archive 2009-05-01 2009

  • Seeing and flying like a dragonfly could be the key to developing highly versatile micro-aerial vehicles.

    India eNews 2009

  • The extraordinary flying ability of the dragonfly has been the subject of ongoing research by Richard Berry from the Centre for Visual Sciences at Australian National University (ANU).

    India eNews 2009

Comments

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  • I had no idea these animals were so ancient. "They evolved during the Mississippian Period, about 360-325 million years ago. Huge dragonflies with wingspans up to 27.5 inches (70 cm) existed during the Mesozoic Era (when the dinosaurs lived)." (enchantedlearning.com)

    August 29, 2008

  • This word actually has 4 words in it!

    March 18, 2010

  • Scots horse-stang.

    May 20, 2011

  • also see darner and other d-f names 'dragonfly names' list

    May 20, 2011