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aphid

American  
[ey-fid, af-id] / ˈeɪ fɪd, ˈæf ɪd /

noun

  1. 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.

aphid British  
/ ˈeɪfɪd, əˈfɪdɪən /

noun

  1. Also called: plant louse.  any of the small homopterous insects of the family Aphididae, which feed by sucking the juices from plants See also greenfly blackfly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

However, the common aphid can easily be evicted with a vigorous jet of water and a little hand smushing.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 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

As the two zoologists were pondering snails, across campus, David Blaauw’s engineering lab had created the world’s smallest computer that has a battery: a 2-by-5-by-2 millimeter sensor slightly bigger than an aphid.

From New York Times • Jul. 13, 2021

She bent and flicked away a green aphid that had perched on her dress before she walked away.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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.