Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The large brownish aquatic larva of the dobsonfly, often used as fishing bait.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The larva of a sialid neuropterous insect, Corydalus cornutus.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Alternative spelling of hellgramite.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably hell (from its painful bite ) + -grammite, of unknown meaning and origin.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word hellgrammite.

Examples

  • Pick a bait (hellgrammite, small crayfish, minnow, cricket, or crawler — in that order) or lead-headed plastic, and cast to the head of the pool.

    Late Summer Tips for Catching Smallmouth Bass While Wading in Rivers 2007

  • We got James Dobsonfly and his organization “focus on the hellgrammite”.

    Sad but true - The Panda's Thumb 2005

  • We got James Dobsonfly and his organization “focus on the hellgrammite”.

    Sad but true - The Panda's Thumb 2005

  • It looks like a size-nine hellgrammite wearing a pair of size-three wings.

    The Song of The Dodo David Quammen 2004

  • This is the trout-catchingest hellgrammite pattern I've ever encountered.

    Trout Fishing MVP's--Nymphs and Wets 2002

  • It looks like a size-nine hellgrammite wearing a pair of size-three wings.

    The Song of The Dodo David Quammen 2004

  • The hellgrammite, a black, ugly slug to be found under stones in summer streams, is the most tempting bait you can offer a black bass.

    Healthful Sports for Boys Alfred Rochefort

  • After a time the hellgrammite comes to the surface and takes to the air as a beetle, but in that state he interests the naturalist rather than the fisherman.

    Healthful Sports for Boys Alfred Rochefort

  • A 1/32-ounce jig-and-plastic combo baited with a giant redworm, spikes, crab tail or piece of long green hellgrammite has worked best.

    JSOnline.com 2010

  • A small jig or hook baited with a giant red worm, small leech, hellgrammite or wax worm has worked best.

    JSOnline.com 2010

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.