common pond-skater
- noun
:
patinador de estanque común
- A common pond-skater uses the surface tension of water to support its weight as it moves.
Examples
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The common pond-skater can often be seen gliding across still water in the summer months.
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Children enjoy watching common pond-skaters dart around on the surface of a garden pond.
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The common pond-skater glided effortlessly across the water.
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Many common pond-skaters can be found in local ponds.
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Children enjoy watching common pond-skaters dart around on the surface of a garden pond.
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The common pond-skater can often be seen gliding across still water in the summer months.
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A common pond-skater uses the surface tension of water to support its weight as it moves.
Synonyms
1
5.8
An insect with long legs that walks on water
A long-legged insect that walks on the surface of ponds and lakes
An insect that moves across the surface of water without sinking
An insect with long legs that moves quickly across the surface of water
A small insect with long legs that walks on the surface of water
Surface Forms
Morphology
common + pond-skater
The phrase is a descriptive compound: 'pond-skater' is transparently built from 'pond' (a small body of water) + 'skater' (one that skates), so a learner can infer an animal that 'skates' on ponds; 'common' simply marks it as frequently occurring. Such noun compounds are compositional and cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily understand the meaning.
Etymology
Common pond-skater The noun common pond-skater names a small insect that you often see on still water. It gets its name from a simple picture: the pond is the water it lives on and the skater seems to 'skate on the water' because its long legs let it move on the water's surface, so the name tells you what the insect does.