imago
1
9.9
The fully grown adult form of an insect that can have young
- noun
- /ɪˈmeɪɡoʊ/
- Specialized
:
imago
- The beetle's imago form was significantly larger than its previous larval stages.
Examples
-
We had brought him a new imago, the first to complete the cycle that started with the eggs we'd discovered in the field.
Fiction book (1993) -
In its imago stage, the dragonfly showcases vivid colors and impressive wings.
-
It is the relations in the Trinity that are the levels represented on earth through the imago Trinitatis, not the levels of the trinitarian constitution.
Academic text (1990) -
After transforming from a caterpillar, the butterfly emerged as a beautiful imago ready to fly.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Imago comes from Latin and means 'image' or 'picture', and it shares the same root as the English word image. In biology it names the adult stage of an insect, the final 'image' or fully formed body after metamorphosis, which is why scientists call the mature insect an imago.