About The Word Elater
Learn about the word Elater to help solve your crossword puzzle. Discover Elater definitions and meaning, origins, synonyms, related terms and more at the free Crossword Dictionary.
Elater
| Elater Definition And Meaning |
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What's The Definition Of Elater?
[n] any of various widely distributed beetles
Synonyms | Synonyms for Elater: elaterid | elaterid beetle Related Terms | Find terms related to Elater: See Also | beetle | click beetle | Elateridae | family Elateridae | fire beetle | firefly | Pyrophorus noctiluca | skipjack | snapping beetle Elater In Webster's Dictionary \E*lat"er\, n.
One who, or that which, elates.
\El"a*ter\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ? driver, fr. ? to drive.] 1. (Bot.) An elastic spiral filament for dispersing the spores, as in some liverworts. 2. (Zo["o]l.) Any beetle of the family {Elaterid[ae]}, having the habit, when laid on the back, of giving a sudden upward spring, by a quick movement of the articulation between the abdomen and thorax; -- called also {click beetle}, {spring beetle}, and {snapping beetle}. 3. (Zo["o]l.) The caudal spring used by {Podura} and related insects for leaping. See {Collembola}. \El"a*ter\, n. (Chem.) The active principle of elaterium, being found in the juice of the wild or squirting cucumber ({Ecballium agreste}, formerly {Motordica Elaterium}) and other related species. It is extracted as a bitter, white, crystalline substance, which is a violent purgative. |
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