aphid
[ ey-fid, af-id ]
noun
any of numerous tiny soft-bodied insects of the family Aphididae of worldwide distribution, that suck the sap from the stems and leaves of various plants, some developing wings when overcrowding occurs: an important pest of many fruit trees and vegetable crops.
Origin of aphid
1First recorded in 1880–85; back formation from aphides, plural of aphis
- Also called plant louse.
Other words from aphid
- a·phid·i·an [uh-fid-ee-uhn], /əˈfɪd i ən/, adjective, noun
- a·phid·i·ous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for aphid
aphid
/ (ˈeɪfɪd) /
Origin of aphid
1C19: back formation from aphides, plural of aphis
Derived forms of aphid
- aphidian (əˈfɪdɪən), adjective, noun
- aphidious, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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