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Glite Dictionary
giant water bug

giant water bug

6.8
A large water insect that eats small fish and other water animals
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒaɪənt ˈwɔːtər bʌɡ/
translation icon : chinche gigante de agua
  • In the pond, we spotted a giant water bug hunting for invertebrates among the plants.

Examples

  • Like the water boatmen and the backswimmers, the giant water bugs resemble beetles somewhat.

    Academic text (1993)

  • One impressive example of such sperm competition avoidance through repeated copulation was described by Smith in 1979 for the paternally caring giant water bug, Abedus herberti.

    Academic text (1999)

  • As she nears her door, she steps on a giant water bug.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Giant water bugs (Family Belostomatidae).

    Academic text (1993)

  • The giant water bug is known for its ability to capture small fish with its sharp mouthparts.

  • While fishing, we noticed a giant water bug floating quietly, waiting for its next meal.

Synonyms

Belostomatidae
vsgiant water bug
  • Specialized
9.9

A large water bug that lives in ponds and gives a painful bite

focuses on predatory feeding and piercing mouthparts rather than taxonomic grouping
water bug
vsgiant water bug
4.1

A large insect with long legs that lives on the surface of water

focuses on active predation of small fish and invertebrates rather than just habitat

Surface Forms

giant water bug singular
giant water bugs plural

Morphology

giant + water + bug

The meaning 'large predatory aquatic insect' is directly and compositionally derived from the constituents: 'giant' (very large) + 'water' (aquatic habitat) + 'bug' (insect/creature), so a learner knowing those words can infer the referent. This adjective+noun+noun compound follows regular English compounding patterns and is cross-linguistically transparent, making it understandable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Giant water bug comes from a simple picture: a giant water bug is a very large insect that lives in ponds or streams and uses a strong bite to catch small fish. That's why it means 'a large predatory aquatic insect'.