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pill bug

American  

noun

  1. any of various small terrestrial isopods, especially of the genera Armadillidium and Oniscus, which can roll themselves up into a spherical shape.

pill bug British  

noun

  1. any of various woodlice of the genera Armadillidium and Oniscus, capable of rolling up into a ball when disturbed

"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

Etymology

Origin of pill bug

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

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.

A pill bug could be shown in a scene and people will be like "That's Javi!"

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2023

A new species of giant deep-sea isopod—a cousin to the common pill bug but more than 10 inches long—was found hiding in plain sight.

From Scientific American • Nov. 5, 2022

Sepp Blatter, FIFA's twinkly pill bug of a president, wasted no time in welcoming the delegates to Thursday's World Cup soiree.

From Slate • Dec. 2, 2010

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.