praying mantis

Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).

Synonyms: praying mantid, preying mantis, praying mantises

Antonyms: praying mantid, preying mantis, praying mantises

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Noun

1. Any of various predatory, [[cannibalistic]] [[insect]]s of the order {{taxfmt|Mantodea|order}} that have a prayer-like stance.
2. {{lb|en|regional|in Europe}} [[European mantis]]: a mantid of the species {{taxlink|Mantis religiosa|species}}.
3. {{lb|en|by extension}} A woman who preys on men (from the idea that female praying mantises eat males after sex).

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.