water strider

noun

: any of various long-legged bugs (family Gerridae) that move about on the surface of the water

Examples of water strider in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Both the mini-bug and water strider robots’ actuators are each composed of two shape memory alloy, 1/1000th inch-wide wires. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Jan. 2024 Going forward, however, the team intends to mimic other bug species while also creating a new water strider iteration capable of switching between moving atop water, and underneath its surface. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Jan. 2024 Part of this limitation is owed to the micro-robots’ designs—the water strider bot can flap its limbs to propel itself atop water, but its natural inspiration actually uses its legs to row to move much faster. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Jan. 2024 To be honest, the female water strider has an easy time of it. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2010 The water strider lays its eggs deeper in water to keep them out of reach of wasps, but the greater pressure is more likely to buckle the eggs. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 14 Sep. 2011 On Earth only a few legged species, such as water strider insects, some aquatic birds and lizards, can run on water. Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2015 Small, lightweight water striders, for instance, rely entirely on surface tension to stay afloat, while the larger, heavier basilisk lizards employ a slapping motion with their feet that creates pockets of air bubbles to keep from sinking. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 11 May 2020 Khila and Santos ground up the developing legs of the Rhagovelia water striders and sequenced the transcriptome — the complete suite of genes active in those tissues. Quanta Magazine, 19 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'water strider.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of water strider was in 1888

Dictionary Entries Near water strider

Cite this Entry

“Water strider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20strider. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

water strider

noun
: any of various long-legged bugs that move about swiftly on the surface of the water

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