(n)any of numerous minute wingless primitive insects possessing a special abdominal appendage that allows the characteristic nearly perpetual springing pattern; found in soil rich in organic debris or on the surface of snow or water, Syn.springtail
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English (GCIDE) v.0.53Collaborative International Dictionary (GCIDE)
‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. ko`lla glue + 'e`mbolon wedge, peg; -- so called from their having collophores. ] (Zool.) The division of Thysanura which includes Podura, and allied forms. [ 1913 Webster ]