metagnathous: Meaning and Definition of

me•tag•na•thous

Pronunciation: (mu-tag'nu-thus), [key]
— adj.
  1. having the tips of the mandibles crossed, as the crossbills.
  2. having biting mouthparts in the larval stage and sucking mouthparts in the adult stage.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.