insectual

comparative more insectual · superlative most insectual

1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of an insect.

   Other times its horns proceed, slow yellow yearnings to live, they go eclipsed, delousing insectual nightmares dead to thunder, herald of genesis.

   2016 spring, Cesar Vallejo, translated by Alvaro Cardona-Hine, “Trilce”, in Malpaís Review, volume 6, number 4, Placitas, N.M., →ISSN, section XLIV, page 41

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   Cochineal is made from an insect. Every pound weight of this valuable drug is said to contain 70,000 insects boiled to death; so that the annual sacrifice of insectual life to procure our scarlet and crimson dyes amounts to about 49,000,000 of these minute members of the vast creation.

   1844 March 31, “Answers to Correspondents”, in The Era, volume VI, number 288, London, page 4, column 2

   The remembrance of those horrible nights, which were for the most part sleepless, makes us even now shudder, varied only, as they were, by occasional volleys of curses from the men, upon all our persecutors, both human and insectual, if we may coin a word.

   1848, James A. Rhodes, “Description of the Navy of Ecuador—Provisional Allowance—Fleas, Cockroaches, &c.—[…]”, in Adventures by the Sea and Land: Being a Cruise in a Whale Boat, during a Year in the Pacific Ocean and the Interior of South America, New York, N.Y.: New-York Publishing Company, […], page 63

   Fussy and ‘pompious’ Tumblety Bug seemed to say with Senator Benton, when he moved the celebrated Jackson ‘Expunging Resolutions:’ ‘Solitary and alone, I set this ball in motion!’ That ‘was so,’ too: but while we pondered upon the object of the humbugeous, insectual laborer, lo! he vanished from our sight, ‘and we saw him no more.’

   1861 May, “Editor’s Table”, in The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine, volume LVII, number 5, New York, N.Y.: J. R. Gilmore, […], page 571

   Spirit of the Pities. / Yonder, that swarm of things insectual / Wheeling Nowhither in Particular— / What is it? / Spirit of the Years. / That? Oh that is merely one / Of those innumerous congeries / Of parasites by which, since time began, / Space has been interfested.

   1912 October, Max Beerbohm, “A Sequelula to ‘The Dynasts’”, in A Christmas Garland Woven by Max Beerbohm, London: William Heinemann, page 61

   He watches a small bulldozer build uniform piles of dust and sand. There is something insectual about the machine’s efforts, a formician predetermination that Michael finds soothing.

   2017, Christopher Gudgeon, “Still Life with Birds and Dust”, in The Encyclopedia of Lies: Stories, Vancouver, B.C.: Anvil Press, →ISBN, page 190

   Synonyms: insectile