water skater
- noun
:
patinador de agua
- The water skater uses its long legs to distribute its weight and avoid sinking.
Examples
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Several water skaters darted away as I tossed a pebble into the stream.
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The water skater moved swiftly on the water's surface.
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Children watched a water skater gliding effortlessly over the pond.
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Look at that water skater gliding across the pond!
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Children watched a water skater gliding effortlessly over the pond.
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The water skater uses its long legs to distribute its weight and avoid sinking.
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Several water skaters darted away as I tossed a pebble into the stream.
Synonyms
1
5.8
An insect with long legs that walks on water
An insect that moves across the surface of water without sinking
A small insect with long legs that walks on the surface of water
An insect that walks on the surface of ponds and still water
Surface Forms
Morphology
water + skater
The noun is compositionally built from 'water' + 'skater', so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer something that "skates" on water (i.e. moves across the water surface). This literal/metaphorical extension of human skating to describe an insect is predictable and follows transparent compounding patterns, making the meaning accessible without prior exposure.
Etymology
Water skater comes from the words water and skater because the insect glides on the water like a person skating on ice. So, the name means an insect that 'moves across the surface of water without sinking'.