What does "heelwalker" mean?

Any of the order Mantophasmatodea of carnivorous, wingless insects that superficially resemble a cross between praying mantises and phasmids.

What is a synonym for "heelwalker"?

Common synonyms include: gladiator, rock crawler.

Heelwalker

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
Any of the order Mantophasmatodea of carnivorous, wingless insects that superficially resemble a cross between praying mantises and phasmids.
"The gladiator heelwalker (Tyrannophasma gladiator) is a ferocious nocturnal predator. It uses both front and middle legs to grab and crush its spider and insect prey."

Synonyms

All synonyms

gladiator rock crawler

Example

More examples

"The gladiator heelwalker (Tyrannophasma gladiator) is a ferocious nocturnal predator. It uses both front and middle legs to grab and crush its spider and insect prey."

Etymology

Compound of heel + walker, from the fact that these insects have a habit of walking with the tips of their feet held up in the air.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.