springtail: Meaning and Definition of

spring•tail

Pronunciation: (spring'tāl"), [key]
— n.
  1. any of numerous minute, wingless primitive insects of the order Collembola, most possessing a special abdominal appendage for jumping that allows for the nearly perpetual springing pattern characteristic of the group.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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