grasshopper

From Middle English gressehopper, grashopper, grashoppyr, alteration of earlier grashope, grashoppe, greshoppe ("grashopper"; > Modern English grasshop), from Old English græshoppa, gærshoppa (“grasshopper”). Equivalent to grass +‎ hopper.

Cognate with Saterland Frisian Gäärshupper (“grasshopper”), Dutch grashupper, grashipper (“grasshopper”), German Low German Grashüpper, Gresshüpper (“grasshopper”), German Grashüpfer (“grasshopper”), Danish græshoppe (“grasshopper”), Swedish gräshoppa (“grasshopper”), Norwegian gresshoppe (“grasshopper”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹɑːsˌhɒpə(ɹ)/, /ɡɹæsˌhɒpə(ɹ)/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹæsˌhɑpəɹ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: grass‧hop‧per

grasshopper (plural grasshoppers)

1. A herbivorous insect of the order Orthoptera noted for its ability to jump long distances and for its habit of communicating by stridulation.
2. A cocktail made with crème de menthe and optionally with crème de cacao.
3. (figuratively) a young student in initial stages of training who has been chosen on account of their obvious talent
   • 2009, B.P. Terpstra, Quadrant, November 2009, No. 461 (Volume LIII, Number 11), Quadrant Magazine Limited, page 2:

     Although we don't know exactly why Li is chosen to dance, we witness a man assuring officials that the child isn't from bourgeois stock. Phew. There are no known landowners in the family, so the grasshopper passes some cultural purity test, in a state often fixated on class warfare, driven by the cult of personality, and bullied by paranoia.

4. In ordinary square or upright pianos of London make, the escapement lever or jack, so made that it can be taken out and replaced with the key.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Grove to this entry?)

• (piano escapement lever): hopper

• grasshopper engine
• grasshopper lobster
• grasshopper warbler
• knee high to a grasshopper

• grasshop