Dictionary

mantis en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈmæntɪs/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *men- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *méntis Proto-Hellenic *mə́tis Ancient Greek μάντις (mántis)bor. Latin mantisbor. English mantis From New Latin mantis, from Ancient Greek μάντις (mántis, “soothsayer”). Distant doublet of mind via Proto-Indo-European *méntis. Noncognate with mantissa.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Any of various large insects of the order Mantodea that catch insects or other small animals with their powerful forelegs.
   • The scientists then allowed the males from one group of mantises to mate with females from the other. 2016 June 28, Nicola Davis, “Having your partner for dinner? Mantis cannibalism boosts fertility – study”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 07 Mar 2017:
   • Don’t get me wrong: I love mantises so much it is pathetic. They have that quality, like some views of a beautiful city, where it feels that you are seeing them for the first time, every time. Each mantis looks so perfect, so whole and individual. 2021 May 27, Helen Sullivan, “A praying mantis: she bites into her mate’s head like an apple and cleans her face ‘like a cat’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 14 Mar 2023:
2. (uncountable) A green colour, like that of many mantises.

Forms

Deriveds

European mantis · mantis crab · mantislike · Chinese mantis · sea mantis · Skinner's ground mantis · praying mantis · mantis shrimp · mantisfly · flower mantis

Synonyms

rear-horse

Translations (66)

gl barbantesa (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · es mantis religiosa (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · mn цөгөрцөг (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · ja 蟷螂 (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · es campamocha (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · tyz hảm khoan (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · zu isithwalambiza (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · grc μάντις (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · pt mantídeo (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · pt louva-a-deus (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · lt maldininkas (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · ar سُرْعُوف (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · bg богомо́лка (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · da knæler (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · cmn 螳螂 (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · kk дәуіт (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · gl galbana (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · sl bogomoljka (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · hy աղոթարար (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · be багамо́л (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · eo manto (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · as গাগিনী (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · vi ngựa trời (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · it mantide (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · sh богомољка (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · mnc ᡥᡝᠯᡳᠶᡝᠨ (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · az dəvədəlləyi (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · ko 당랑 (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · mi rō (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · ro călugăriță (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · uk богомо́л (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · fa آخوندک (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · niq chepkoima (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · sv bönsyrsa (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · es mantis (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · de Fangschrecke (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · ka ჩოქელა (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · fr mante (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · mi whē (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · nl bidsprinkhaan (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · tyz mèng mạ (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · vi bọ ngựa (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · de Gottesanbeterin (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · ca pregadeu (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · acw سَرْعُوف (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · su ᮎᮧᮀᮎᮧᮛᮀ (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · ar فَرَس اَلنَّبِيّ (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · es mantodeo (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · es santateresa (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · cy mantis (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · ru богомо́л (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · cmn 刀螂 (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · nv Naakaii náázééł (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · sk kudlanka (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · mk богомолка (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · ko 사마귀 (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · no kneler (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · cs kudlanka (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · sh bogomoljka (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · ja 螳螂 (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · co ghjumenta di preti (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · fi rukoilijasirkka (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · es (South América) mamboretá (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · pl modliszka (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · ms mentadak (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea) · tyz càn mạ (any of various large insects of the order Mantodea)