Mantis Means Prophet
A mantis is a predatory insect. Its Greek name means prophet, from the posture that looks like praying hands.
A mantis is a predatory insect that catches prey with folded forelegs. The Greek *mantis* means a prophet or seer, from the posture — the folded forelegs suggest hands raised in prayer or divination. Ancient observers read it as a religious gesture; it is in fact the coiled position of a highly effective ambush weapon.
- A predatory insect. *A praying mantis.*
- Mantid — the family term. *A tropical mantid.*
- Mantis shrimp — an unrelated crustacean. *A mantis shrimp.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | mantis | A green mantis. |
| Plural | mantises | Several mantises. |
| Plural | mantes | The Greek plural. |
| Order | Mantodea | The order Mantodea. |
| Related | mantic | Mantic arts. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Mantis means prophet in Greek.From the praying posture.
- Sexual cannibalism is not universal.It occurs, but less often than reputation suggests.
- The mantis shrimp is a crustacean.Not related to the insect.
Mantis facts
- Strike speed — among the fastest movements in the animal kingdom
- Stereoscopic vision — mantises judge distance with genuine depth perception
- Head rotation — they can turn the head nearly 180 degrees
- Cannibalism — occurs but is far from universal, and often exaggerated by laboratory conditions
- Camouflage — some species mimic flowers or leaves precisely
From Greek *mantis*, a prophet or seer, from the same root as *mania* and the *-mancy* in *necromancy*.
Do female mantises always eat the male?
No. It happens, but observations in the wild show it is much less common than laboratory conditions suggested.
Is a mantis shrimp a mantis?
No. It is a crustacean, named for its similarly folded raptorial forelimbs.