noun. An elaterid beetle.

noun. A tiny elongated structure that forces the dispersal of spores by the absorption of moisture. It is either a band attached to the spore, as in horsetails, or a filament occurring among the spores, as in liverworts.

noun. One who or that which elates.

noun. Elasticity; especially, the expansibility of a gas.

noun. [NL.] In botany: One of the four clubshaped filaments of Equisetaceæ, attached at one point to a spore, formed by the splitting of the outer coat of the spore.

noun. One of the long and slender fusiform cells of Hepaticæ having one or more spiral thickenings within. They loosen the spores in the capsule at the time of their dispersion.

noun. One of the similar free filaments of Myxomycetes forming part of the capillitium, and frequently having spiral thickenings. They are sometimes furnished with spines. Their characters are useful in distinguishing species.

noun. [NL.] In entomology: [capitalized] The typical genus of the family Elateridæ, founded by Linnæus in 1767.

noun. One of the Elateridæ; a click-beetle.

noun. One of the elastic bristles at the end of the abdomen of the Poduridæ. A. S. Packard. See spring.

noun. An elastic spiral filament for dispersing the spores, as in some liverworts.

noun. Any beetle of the family Elateridæ, having the habit, when laid on the back, of giving a sudden upward spring, by a quick movement of the articulation between the abdomen and thorax; -- called also click beetle, spring beetle, and snapping beetle.

noun. The caudal spring used by Podura and related insects for leaping. See Collembola.

noun. One who, or that which, elates.

noun. The active principle of elaterium, being found in the juice of the wild or squirting cucumber (Ecballium agreste, formerly Motordica Elaterium) and other related species. It is extracted as a bitter, white, crystalline substance, which is a violent purgative.

noun. That which elates.

noun. Elasticity; especially the expansibility of a gas.

noun. A long, slender cell produced among spores and having hygroscopic secondary cell wall thickenings.

noun. Any of the long, slender hygroscopic appendages attached to the spores of horsetails (genus Equisetum).

noun. An elaterid, or click beetle.

noun. any of various widely distributed beetles

"I amused myself one day by observing the springing powers of this insect, which have not, as it appears to me, been properly described. 15 The elater, when placed on its back and preparing to spring, moved its head and thorax backwards, so that the pectoral spine was drawn out, and rested on the edge of its sheath."

eyed elater  

pseudoelater  

beetle  

click beetle  fire beetle  firefly  pyrophorus noctiluca  skipjack  

Collembola  click beetle  snapping beetle  spring beetle