mosquito hawk
1
6.8
- noun
- /məˈskitoʊ hɔk/
- US
:
libélula
- Look at that mosquito hawk flying by!
Examples
-
I watched a mosquito hawk catch its prey in midair.
-
The pond was full of mosquito hawks darting above the water at dusk.
-
Gardeners welcome mosquito hawks because they help control the mosquito population.
-
The mosquito hawk caught a mosquito mid-air.
-
The mosquito hawk is often seen hovering near ponds, where it catches and eats mosquitoes.
-
Many people appreciate the presence of the mosquito hawk in their gardens because it helps control the mosquito population.
-
When summer arrives, you'll notice mosquito hawks darting around, capturing insects in mid-air.
Synonyms
15
1.4
A fast insect with a long thin body and two pairs of clear wings held out when resting
A slender insect with bright shiny wings that eats mosquitoes and small insects
A slender flying insect with long body and clear wings often found near water
A long thin insect with clear wings that eats mosquitoes near water
A long thin insect with bright wings that eats mosquitoes and does not sting
A long, thin insect with bright, shiny wings that eats mosquitoes
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
mosquito + hawk
The compound reads as a straightforward composition: a 'hawk' that is associated with or eats 'mosquitoes', so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words can infer it denotes a bird (or insect‑eating creature) related to mosquitoes. Although regional uses sometimes apply the label to dragonflies or other insectivores, the head‑modifier logic is transparent and predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Mosquito hawk comes from people watching dragonflies catch mosquitoes. They pictured a small hawk hunting a mosquito, so the name now means 'a dragonfly that eats mosquitoes'.