metagnathism

Variant of metagnathous

adjective

  1. having the points of the beak crossed, as in the crossbills
  2. having larvae that feed by chewing and adults that feed by sucking, as in butterflies and moths

Origin: meta- + -gnathous

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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