Blattaria

plural noun

Blat·​tar·​ia

bləˈta(a)rēə,

-ter-

: an order of medium to large-sized broadly oval flattened cursorial insects consisting of the roaches and having the head concealed from above beneath the pronotum, strong chewing mouthparts, long many-jointed antennae, two pairs of wings when present with the forewings membranous and veined, prominent jointed cerci at the end of the abdomen, incomplete metamorphosis, and eggs produced in an ootheca

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Blatta + -aria

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!