- (n.) The active principle of elaterium, being found in the juice of the wild or squirting cucumber (Ecballium agreste, formerly Motordica Elaterium) and other related species. It is extracted as a bitter, white, crystalline substance, which is a violent purgative.
- (n.) Any beetle of the family Elateridae, having the habit, when laid on the back, of giving a sudden upward spring, by a quick movement of the articulation between the abdomen and thorax; -- called also click beetle, spring beetle, and snapping beetle.
- (n.) One who or that which, elates.
- (n.) The caudal spring used by Podura and related insects for leaping. See Collembola.
- (n.) An elastic spiral filament for dispersing the spores, as in some liverworts.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). Elater. Retrieved October 2, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/elater/definitions/2002012 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "Elater" http://smartdefine.org/elater/definitions/2002012 (accessed October 2, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, Elater, Smart Define, viewed 2 October, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/elater/definitions/2002012>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "Elater" 27 May 2011. Web. 2 October 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/elater/definitions/2002012> |