mealybug

[ mee-lee-buhg ]

/ ˈmi liˌbʌg /

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.

Nearby words

mealtime,
mealworm,
mealy,
mealy bug,
mealy-mouthed,
mean,
mean anomaly,
mean business,
mean calorie,
mean cell hemoglobin

Origin of mealybug

First recorded in 1815–25; mealy + bug¹