# instar

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɪnstɑː/ · frequency rank #63,705

## Definitions
1. Any one of the several stages of postembryonic development which an arthropod undergoes, between molts, before it reaches sexual maturity.
2. An arthropod at a specified one of these stages of development.
3. A stage in development.

## Etymology
From Latin instar (“form, likeness”), which is of obscure origin.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/instar