spider mite

American

noun

any of numerous, variously colored web-spinning mites of the family Tetranychidae, many of which are pests of garden plants and fruit trees.

spider mite British

noun

any of various plant-feeding mites of the family Tetranychidae, esp Panonychus ulmi ( red spider mite ), which is a serious orchard pest

"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

Etymology

Origin of spider mite

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The two-spotted spider mite is one of the most economically damaging pests -- it's not fussy and attacks a broad range of more than 1000 plants, including 150 crops.

From Science Daily • May 3, 2024

The Carranzas, for example, were fighting off a spider mite infestation on a small section of their strawberry patch.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2020

Another example is that there is a plant that often develops a spider mite, and no matter how many times you spray it with chemicals, the mites will return and you can’t save it.

From The Verge • Mar. 30, 2018

Why does the spider mite appear to thrive on insecticides?

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

The spider mite, for example, has become practically a worldwide pest as DDT and other insecticides have killed off its enemies.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023