mantis
noun /ˈmæntɪs/
/ˈmæntɪs/
(also praying mantis)
(plural mantids or mantises)
- a large green insect that eats other insects. The female mantis often eats the male.Topics Insects, worms, etc.c2Word Originmid 17th cent.: modern Latin, from Greek, literally ‘prophet’.