mealybug

[mee-lee-buhg]

noun

any of several scalelike, homopterous insects of the families Pseudococcidae and Eriococcidae that are covered with a powdery wax secretion and feed on plants.

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Origin of mealybug

First recorded in 1815–25; mealy + bug¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018