The Collaborative International Dictionary
Gryllus \Gryl"lus\, n. [L., locust.] (Zo["o]l.) A genus of insects including the common crickets.
Wikipedia
Gryllus is a genus of field cricket ( Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Gryllinae). Members of the genus are typically 15–31 mm long and darkly coloured.
Until the mid-1950s, native field crickets in eastern North America were all assigned to a single species, Acheta assimilis Fabricius. Although regional variation in calling song and life history were noted, no morphological characters could be found to reliably distinguish these variants. Building upon the pioneering work of Fulton, Alexander used male calling song, life history and crosses between putative species to revise the taxonomy of gryllines in the eastern United States, and recognized five species, although at the time they were still classified in the genus Acheta.
Usage examples of "gryllus".
The punch from Gryllus had been powerful and, held as he was, Parmenion could not roll with the blow.
Anger flared as he remembered the short, powerful, hooked punches, and he felt the desire to stalk across the crowded street, take Gryllus by the hair and ram his foul head into the wall until the stones were stained with blood.
But it galled Parmenion that Gryllus was accepted - even liked - by other youths in the barracks.
He had tried so hard with the child, painstakingly teaching him, trying to fill Gryllus with thoughts of honour, loyalty, duty and courage.
Reality struck him worse than any blow he had received from Gryllus or the others, hammering home into his heart.
The slender youth staggered and lost ground, but Leonidas surged forward, catching Gryllus just before the line and breasting home ahead.
The boy he had leapt upon was lying unconscious on the ground and Gryllus had run.
The general died at the point of victory, and the man who killed him was said to be an Athenian captain named Gryllus, the son of Xenophon.
Upon seeing his son near death for the second time in his life, steely old Gryllus openly wept.
Philomena, however, a life of attempting to manage the rambunctious boy as well as the dwindling household and farm staff, while Gryllus battled the Spartans or served in the assembly at Athens, was too much.
Even during his brief forays home from his diplomatic or military duties, Gryllus had little time for boys, having constantly to attend to the comings and goings of strange men, men important and self-important, who would come to talk and argue with him far into the night.
I vividly recall the time Gryllus used the Spartans as a lesson to Aedon, Proxenus and me, when he felt us to be lacking in diligence in some task or another.
Proxenus did, and Gryllus slapped the contents roughly to the floor and ground it underfoot.
As Gryllus coolly watched, he blanched, and suddenly whirling, ran out of the room.
Proxenus and I stood silently watching Gryllus, who stared back at us impassively for a moment, then calmly strolled out, leaving us alone.