Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

jumping plant louse

noun
  1. any of numerous lice, of the family Psyllidae, that feed on plant juices and are sometimes pests of fruits and vegetables.
Show More

Origin of jumping plant louse

First recorded in 1900–05
Also called psylla, psyllid.

psylla

[sil-uh]
noun
  1. jumping plant louse.
Show More
Also psyl·lid [sil-id] /ˈsɪl ɪd/.

Origin of psylla

< New Latin (1811) Psylla genus name < Greek psýlla flea
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for psyllid

Historical Examples

  • The Flea-lice (Psyllid) frequently produce galls, and these should always be collected with the insect architects.

    Directions for Collecting and Preserving Insects

    C. V. Riley

  • In fact, this fluid would seem to be produced by most of the Rhynchota, for the Psyllid and Aleurodid also excrete it.

British Dictionary definitions for psyllid

psyllid

psylla (ˈsɪlə)

noun
  1. any homopterous insect of the family Psyllidae, which comprises the jumping plant liceSee plant louse (def. 2)
Show More

Word Origin

C19: from Greek psulla flea
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