noun
haltere
Haltere (noun) means a tiny club-shaped organ found in pairs on certain two-winged insects, beaten quickly in flight to help them keep balance.
noun
1
A tiny club-shaped organ found in pairs on certain two-winged insects, beaten quickly in flight to help them keep balance.
"Whenever the fly changes direction at an angle to the hinge, the shaking bends the halteres at their base and turns them into a gyroscope."
— Thomas Halliday, Otherlands (2022)
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Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἁλτῆρες (haltêres, “weights held in the hand to give an impetus in leaping”). Note that in the original Greek, there seems to have been no singular for ἁλτῆρες (haltêres), and some authorities maintain that halteres is a plurale tantum, but in English entomological usage, haltere sometimes appears as a back-formation. Sometimes the singular halter is used instead, but this may lead to confusion with other, unrelated meanings of halter.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for haltere
See all rhymes for haltere →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of haltere?
"haltere" (noun) means a tiny club-shaped organ found in pairs on certain two-winged insects, beaten quickly in flight to help them keep balance.
What is another word for haltere?
Other words for "haltere" include halter, balancer.
