box-elder bug

noun

: a red-and-black sap-sucking bug (Leptocoris trivittatus) of the family Coreidae that sometimes feeds on fruit and hibernates in a partially dormant state often in buildings

Word History

Etymology

so called from its preference for the box elder

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Dictionary Entries Near box-elder bug

Cite this Entry

“Box-elder bug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/box-elder%20bug. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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