Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

subimago

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: subima-go
IPA

13

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A stage in the development of certain insects, intermediate between pupa and imago, during which the insect can fly but must shed a skin before becoming mature.

Example Sentences

"Subimago, Fem.—Dull piceous: antennæ black: abdomen more than twice the length of the thorax: setæ brownish testaceous, mutilated: legs dull testaceous; fore-legs brown: wings gray; veins black, not strongly marked."
"The subimago (a winged, but usually sexually immature stage) in the life cycle of mayflies is unique among living insect orders. The Ephemeroptera have two winged-instars, the subimago and the adult (or imago)."
"Subimagos emerge at the surface, fly to a support, molt immediately to the adult stage, live only a few hours, swarm, and mate shortly after ecdysis."
"Subimagines flutter away immediately and rest at protected sites near the stream for up to 2-3 days, until the molt to the very short-lived adult occurs."

Etymology

From sub- + imago, after German Subimago.

Origin

Source language: German

Word Breakdown

Prefix: sub
Root: Subimago

Inflected Forms

subimagos (plural) subimagoes (plural) subimagines (plural)

Synonyms

pseudimago dun

Questions

What does subimago mean?: A stage in the development of certain insects, intermediate between pupa and imago, during which the insect can fly but must shed a skin before becoming mature.
Where does subimago come from?: It is traced to German.

How to pronounce subimago

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