also: かとんぼ
crane fly; daddy longlegs
Refers to the insect of the family Tipulidae. The cross-reference 大蚊 (ががんぼ) is a synonym.
See also: ガガンボ
tall, gangly person; string bean
Derogatory slang comparing a lanky person to a crane fly. Used informally.
I found a big crane fly in the garden.
That string bean of a guy, hasn't he gotten even taller?
Standard spelling combining kanji and katakana; the reading かトンボ is explicitly tied to this form.
Full kanji spelling with 蜻蛉; the reading かとんぼ is restricted to this form. Less common in modern use.
Compound of 蚊 (か, 'mosquito') and トンボ (とんぼ, 'dragonfly'), literally 'mosquito dragonfly', referring to the insect's resemblance to a large mosquito or a dragonfly. The slang sense derives from the insect's long, thin legs.