aphid
Americannoun
-
any of numerous tiny soft-bodied insects of the family Aphididae of worldwide distribution, that suck the sap from the stems and leaves of various plants, some developing wings when overcrowding occurs: an important pest of many fruit trees and vegetable crops.
noun
Other Word Forms
- aphidian adjective
- aphidious adjective
Etymology
Origin of aphid
First recorded in 1880–85; back formation from aphides, plural of aphis
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.
That theory sounded plausible to Andy Jensen, another aphid researcher.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 30, 2023
"Lady beetles are part of a healthy outdoor ecosystem that helps to manage aphid populations in certain settings," says Cory Tanner, Horticulture Program Team Director at Clemson University.
From Salon • Feb. 7, 2022
Viswanath Birje has been announced as the winner of the Royal Society of Biology's photography competition, for his image of ants feeding off honeydew excreted by a yellow aphid.
From BBC • Oct. 7, 2021
Savoie, like most European wine regions, was devastated in the late 19th century by phylloxera, a ravenous aphid that preys on the roots of vitis vinifera, the species to which virtually all European grapevines belong.
From New York Times • Jul. 8, 2021
All these hemlocks, and all the hemlocks everywhere along the trail and far beyond, are being killed by an aphid introduced accidentally from Asia in 1924.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.