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Showing results for spittlebug. Search instead for meadow+spittlebug.

spittlebug

American  
[spit-l-buhg] / ˈspɪt lˌbʌg /

noun

  1. the nymph of the froghopper, which surrounds itself with a frothy mass.


Etymology

Origin of spittlebug

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; spittle + bug 1

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.

There is even a new Xylella outbreak in Spanish almond trees attributable to this spittlebug, Thompson says.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 6, 2023

A bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa, spread by an inconspicuous, plant-feeding insect called the meadow spittlebug.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 6, 2023

"The spittlebug is the ultimate herbivore champion," said study author Claire Harkin, from the University of Sussex.

From Science Daily • Oct. 4, 2023

Dumont carries ziplock baggies in her purse to store the specimens that Prakash recovers—a spittlebug from the conifers near their apartment, a winged insect from a chili scramble.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 21, 2015

As is his belief that the insect that surrounds itself with foam is a tick, when it is obviously a spittlebug.

From The Guardian • Oct. 17, 2010