Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- Having the wings sheathed or incased in elytra, as a beetle; sharded; coleopterous; vaginipennate.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective (Zoöl.) Having elytra, or wing cases, as a beetle.
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word sheath-winged.
Examples
-
Of creatures that can fly and are bloodless some are coleopterous or sheath-winged, for they have their wings in a sheath or shard, like the cockchafer and the dung-beetle; others are sheathless, and of these latter some are dipterous and some tetrapterous: tetrapterous, such as are comparatively large or have their stings in the tail, dipterous, such as are comparatively small or have their stings in front.
-
Coleoptera: sheath-winged: an order with the primaries coriaceous, used as a cover only, meeting in a straight line dorsally; mouth mandibulate; pro-thorax free; transformation complete: the beetles: the term has also been applied to the two elytra together.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology John. B. Smith
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.