meloid

[ mel-oid ]

/ ˈmɛl ɔɪd /

noun

a beetle of the family Meloidae, comprising the blister beetles.

adjective

belonging or pertaining to the family Meloidae.

Nearby words

melodize, melodrama, melodramatic, melodramatize, melody, meloid, melon, melon dome, melon foot, melon pear, melon seed

Origin of meloid

1875–80; < New Latin Meloidae name of the family, equivalent to Melo(ē) type genus + -idae -id²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for meloid

The first hatching, that of the normal egg, makes the Meloid go through the larval dimorphism of the Anthrax and the Leucospis.
The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles|Jean Henri Fabre
The primary larva of this Meloid is still unknown, so far as I am aware; and I shall describe it in detail.
The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles|Jean Henri Fabre
The Meloid seems to be revolving in a circle: it undoes what it has just done, it draws back after advancing.
The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles|Jean Henri Fabre
Carabidoid: applied to the second stage of a meloid larva, when it resembles that of a Carabid.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith

This is indeed a Meloid, a true Meloid, one of the strangest anomalies among the parasites of its tribe.
The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles|Jean Henri Fabre

British Dictionary definitions for meloid

meloid

/ (ˈmɛlɔɪd) /

noun

any long-legged beetle of the family Meloidae, which includes the blister beetles and oil beetles

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the Meloidae

Word Origin for meloid

C19: from New Latin Meloē name of genus

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