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Stick insect

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walking stick

–noun
1. a stick held in the hand and used to help support oneself while walking.
2. Also, walk⋅ing⋅stick. Also called stick insect. any of several insects of the family Phasmidae, having a long, slender, twiglike body.

Origin:
1570–80
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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stick insect  
n.  Any of several insects of the family Phasmidae, as the walking stick, that resemble sticks or twigs.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

stick insect

any of about 2,000 species of slow-moving insects that are green or brown in colour and bear a resemblance to twigs as a protective device. Some species also have sharp spines, an offensive odour, or the ability to force their blood, which contains toxic, distasteful chemicals, through special joints in the exoskeleton. In many species the eggs closely resemble seeds

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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