Aphididae

plural noun

Aphid·​i·​dae
əˈfidəˌdē,
āˈ-,
aˈ-
: a large family of Homoptera comprising small soft-bodied plant lice that are usually somewhat pear-shaped with wings if present held vertically over the back when at rest, well-developed antennae, and a pair of prominent wax-secreting cornicles on the posterior part of the abdomen from which the covering of white waxy filaments typical of many species is produced and that have a complex life cycle in which resistant fertilized eggs produced in the fall hatch out parthenogenetic females in the spring that give birth to repeated generations of winged or wingless parthenogenetic females on the same or other kinds of host plants, finally producing a generation of winged males and winged or wingless females that mate and produce the fertilized eggs

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Aphid-, Aphis, type genus + -idae

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near Aphididae

Cite this Entry

“Aphididae.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Aphididae. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!