aphid

[ ey-fid, af-id ]
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noun
  1. 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

1
First recorded in 1880–85; back formation from aphides, plural of aphis

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) /


noun
  1. any of the small homopterous insects of the family Aphididae, which feed by sucking the juices from plants: Also called: plant louse See also greenfly, blackfly

Origin of aphid

1
C19: 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