Illustration of katydid
katydid
noun
ka·ty·did ˈkā-tē-ˌdid 
: any of various large green American long-horned grasshoppers usually having stridulating organs on the forewings of the males that produce a loud shrill sound
Did you know?
Some animal names have been created through imitation of the sounds the animals make. The name katydid is an example of this process. These insects were given this name because the noise they make was thought to sound like “Katy-did, Katy-didn't” repeated over and over.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web See different species of colorful beetles, ants and an ant mound, a cicada, butterflies, a firefly, a stink bug, a ladybug, a peacock jumping spider, a dragonfly, a walking stick, a katydid, a caterpillar and a hissing cockroach. 
The Courier-Journal, 31 Aug. 2022 See different species of colorful beetles, ants and an ant mound, a cicada, butterflies, a firefly, a stink bug, a ladybug, a peacock jumping spider, a dragonfly, a walking stick, a katydid, a caterpillar and a hissing cockroach. The Courier-Journal, 31 Aug. 2022 See different species of colorful beetles, ants and an ant mound, a cicada, butterflies, a firefly, a stink bug, a ladybug, a peacock jumping spider, a dragonfly, a walking stick, a katydid, a caterpillar and a hissing cockroach. The Courier-Journal, 10 Aug. 2022 The technician finished his work and, before releasing the lemur, rewarded her with a katydid nearly the size of her head. Dyan Machan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2022 See different species of colorful beetles, ants and an ant mound, a cicada, butterflies, a firefly, a stink bug, a ladybug, a peacock jumping spider, a dragonfly, a walking stick, a katydid, a caterpillar and a hissing cockroach. Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 6 July 2022 These bats hunt by listening for the mating calls of several frog and katydid species. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2022 Scientists do not know exactly when insects started to first make or hear sounds, but the fossil record provides a minimum date: a katydid from around 250 million years ago has the sound-producing anatomy characteristic of this group. Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2022 To study their songs, Martinson puts a katydid in a recording studio, which is a mesh box with a miniature microphone. Washington Post, 24 May 2021 See More
The Courier-Journal, 31 Aug. 2022 See different species of colorful beetles, ants and an ant mound, a cicada, butterflies, a firefly, a stink bug, a ladybug, a peacock jumping spider, a dragonfly, a walking stick, a katydid, a caterpillar and a hissing cockroach. The Courier-Journal, 31 Aug. 2022 See different species of colorful beetles, ants and an ant mound, a cicada, butterflies, a firefly, a stink bug, a ladybug, a peacock jumping spider, a dragonfly, a walking stick, a katydid, a caterpillar and a hissing cockroach. The Courier-Journal, 10 Aug. 2022 The technician finished his work and, before releasing the lemur, rewarded her with a katydid nearly the size of her head. Dyan Machan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2022 See different species of colorful beetles, ants and an ant mound, a cicada, butterflies, a firefly, a stink bug, a ladybug, a peacock jumping spider, a dragonfly, a walking stick, a katydid, a caterpillar and a hissing cockroach. Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 6 July 2022 These bats hunt by listening for the mating calls of several frog and katydid species. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2022 Scientists do not know exactly when insects started to first make or hear sounds, but the fossil record provides a minimum date: a katydid from around 250 million years ago has the sound-producing anatomy characteristic of this group. Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2022 To study their songs, Martinson puts a katydid in a recording studio, which is a mesh box with a miniature microphone. Washington Post, 24 May 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
imitative
First Known Use
1784, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
katydid
noun
ka·ty·did ˈkā-tē-ˌdid
: a large green American grasshopper with males that make shrill noises