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Glite Dictionary
machilid

machilid

9.9
A small wingless insect that lives in dark, damp places and jumps when disturbed
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : machílido
  • When disturbed, a machilid can leap several centimeters to escape predators.

Examples

  • The machilid scurried beneath the decaying log when I lifted it carefully.

  • I found a machilid under the old logs in the garden.

  • Scientists studied the behavior of the machilid in its natural, damp habitat.

  • The machilid jumped suddenly when I approached it.

  • The machilid quickly hopped away when the light from my flashlight shone on it.

  • In the damp soil of the forest, I observed a machilid making quick jumps to evade danger.

  • A machilid was spotted darting around the shadows of the rocks near the pond.

Synonyms

jumping bristletail
vsmachilid
9.9

A small wingless insect that lives in dark, damp places like under logs and jumps when touched

is the formal scientific family name used in biology for the same insect

Surface Forms

machilid singular
machilids plural

Morphology

machilid = machil + id

The stem 'machil' is a Latinized taxonomic element not familiar to average learners, and although '-id' is a specialist suffix meaning a member of a taxonomic group, the overall meaning cannot be derived by a typical B1 learner from its parts.

Etymology

Machilid comes from the scientific family name Machilidae, built from the group name Machilis that scientists gave to these small, wingless insects. A helpful way to remember machilid is to picture a tiny creature that 'leaps' in dark, damp places, because machilids are wingless bristletails known for jumping when disturbed.