hexapod, n. and a.
(ˈhɛksəpɒd)
[ad. Gr. ἑξαποδ- six-footed, f. ἕξ six (hexa-) + πούς foot.]
A. n. An animal having six feet, an insect; in early use, chiefly applied to insect larvæ.
| 1668 Wilkins Real Char. 125 Strait Beetle producing hexapod. 1691 Ray Creation ii. (1704) 354 The Hexapods from which the greater sort of Beetles come. 1764 Phil. Trans. LIV. 65 Their first appearance is an hexapode (an ill-shapen grub) with six feet. 1816 Kirby & Sp. Entomol. (1843) I. 70 Larvæ which in this tribe are usually Hexapods. 1875 A. Swinbourne Picture Logic xiv. 94 A flea, madam, may be defined as an apterous hexapod. |
B. adj. Having six feet; belonging to the class Hexapoda or Insecta, hexapodous.
| 1856–8 W. Clark Van der Hoeven's Zool. I. 308 Diptera.—Hexapod Insects with two wings, and two poisers. 1880 Bastian Brain 100 The thoracic legs of hexapod Insects. |
Hence hexaˈpodal, heˈxapodous adjs., having six feet, belonging to the class Hexapoda. hexaˈpodan a. and n. = hexapod a. and n.
| 1830 R. Knox Béclard's Anat. 24 The Insecta, or hexapodal articulate animals, have..six articulated feet. 1836–9 Todd Cycl. Anat. II. 854/1 Insects..may be characterized as a class of hexapodous..animals. |