wood louse

American  

noun

Zoology.

1. any of certain small, terrestrial crustaceans of the genera Oniscus, Armadillidium, etc., having a flattened, elliptical body.

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Etymology

Origin of wood louse

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

Wood louse spider: This species belongs to a relatively small number of spiders that have six eyes instead of eight.

From Scientific American

No surprise, perhaps that they can fall prey to parasites - among them, the sea louse, a marine cousin of the wood louse.

From BBC

The speckled sea louse emerges to feed as the tide rises over its habitat The speckled sea louse, a marine cousin of the wood louse, has two body clocks - one for time and other for tides, say researchers at Aberystwyth University.

From BBC

Despite this hint of a wood louse’s moldiness creeping into my day, I pressed on, to look around a bit on my own.

From New York Times

Cubans like to add some additional data: Electric Bond & Share is supposed to have provided the $500,000 campaign fund that won Machado his first election; as an inaugural present an official of Electric Bond & Share is supposed to have given him a $20,000 armored car; of Chase's $30,000,000 first loan. $2,000,000 went into commissions�$500,000 to "Wood Louse"' Obregon.

From Time Magazine Archive