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Glite Dictionary
🦯 A support stick 🦗 A twig-like insect
walking stick

walking stick

6.0
A long thin insect that looks like a twig
  • noun
  • /ˈwɔːkɪŋ stɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : insecto palo
  • In the rainforest, the walking stick insect remains motionless, appearing as just another twig.

Examples

  • Some species of walking stick can grow to over a foot in length.

  • The walking stick blends perfectly with the twigs and branches in its forest habitat.

  • When threatened, a walking stick may remain completely still to avoid predators.

  • The walking stick blended perfectly with the twigs around it.

  • Did you see the walking stick in the garden?

  • The walking stick blends seamlessly with the branches, making it hard to spot in the trees.

  • At the nature exhibit, we learned how the walking stick uses camouflage to avoid predators.

Synonyms

stick insect
vswalking stick
1 5.6

A long thin insect that looks like a twig

focuses on camouflage among branches and leaves rather than habitat
walkingstick
vswalking stick
  • US
8.8

A long thin insect that hides on branches by looking like a stick

is the same but written as two separate words

Surface Forms

walking stick singular
walking sticks plural

Morphology

walking + stick

The meaning 'a stick carried in the hand to provide support while walking' is directly and transparently composed from 'walking' (relating to moving on foot) + 'stick' (a handheld rod). This simple noun + noun/attributive adjective composition is cross-linguistically common and follows regular English compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Walking stick is an insect whose long, thin body looks like a stick used for walking. Because it looks like a twig among branches, the name reminds us it hides by looking like a stick.