grasshopper

noun

1. A mostly herbivorous insect of the order Orthoptera, noted for its ability to jump long distances and for the habit of some species communicating by stridulation; they are related to but distinct from crickets.

   “Even in my happiest moments, while the grass was crowded with flowers beneath me—the sweet monotony of the running water in mine ear, only broken by the cheerful chant of the grasshopper—the boughs of the chestnut, filled with sunshine, dazzling my eyes, till the golden air seemed thronged with lovely shapes,—even then came pale and mournful shadows, whose white faces looked upon me pityingly.”

   “But it is as a destroyer of grasshoppers that the dickcissel excels.”

2. A mostly herbivorous insect of the order Orthoptera, noted for its ability to jump long distances and for the habit of some species communicating by stridulation; they are related to but distinct from crickets.
3. A mostly herbivorous insect of the order Orthoptera, noted for its ability to jump long distances and for the habit of some species communicating by stridulation; they are related to but distinct from crickets.
4. A cocktail made with crème de menthe and optionally with crème de cacao.

   “Does he order Scotch-on-the-rocks in a low, mean voice? No? A Bud? No? A grasshopper, heavy on the creme de menthe? Right!”

5. (figuratively)A young student in the initial stages of training who has been chosen on account of their obvious talent.

   “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.”

6. (slang)A frequent user of marijuana.
7. 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.

   “John Geib […]patented the hopper with two separate escapements, one of which soon became adopted in the grasshopper of the square piano”

8. A fairy chess piece which moves orthogonally or diagonally, but must hop over a piece to move or capture, landing one square beyond the hopped piece.

verb

1. (transitive)Of a crop, to be ruined or destroyed by grasshoppers.
2. (transitive)To move a riverboat over an obstruction, such as a sandbar.
3. (rare, transitive)Of an animal, to hunt and eat grasshoppers.