What does "springtail" mean?

Any of various wingless hexapods, of the subclass Collembola, with spring-like legs.

What is a synonym for "springtail"?

Common synonyms include: collembolan, collembolan, insect.

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Any of various wingless hexapods, of the subclass Collembola, with spring-like legs.
"Among the wonders of the natural world that few people have ever noticed: a semiaquatic springtail in motion."
2
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 wordnet

"Among the wonders of the natural world that few people have ever noticed: a semiaquatic springtail in motion."

From spring + tail.

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