English Explanatory Dictionary

aphid

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A sap-sucking insect pest of the superfamily Aphidoidea; an aphidian.

Pronunciation

/ˈeɪ.fɪd/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-aphid.wav LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-aphid.wav

Word forms

aphid aphids

Etymology

From New Latin aphis (plural aphides), coined by Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. His inspiration for the name remains unclear; OED suggests it might stem from a misreading of Ancient Greek κορις (koris, “bug”) (see diagram), in which case the nominative -ις (-is) suffix was reanalyzed as -ις, -ιδος (-is, -idos); while AHD suggests a connection to Ancient Greek ἀφειδής (apheidḗs, “unsparing, lavishly borrowed”) in reference to the insects' voracity or rapid rate of production, from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + φείδομαι (pheídomai, “to spare, be thrifty, be merciful”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to split”). Doublet of aphis.

Related words

aphidid aphidine aphidoid aphis aphidomorph blackfly greenfly jumping plant louse whitefly

Derived words

almond aphid aphicide aphidian aphidicide aphidicolin aphidid aphidiine aphidine aphidious aphidivorous aphidlike aphid lion aphid midge aphidoid aphidology aphidomorph aphidophagous aphidophagy aphidozer aphid wolf aphiophilous apple aphid apple-grass aphid apple root aphid artichoke root aphid asparagus aphid balsam twig aphid bean aphid beech blight aphid beet leaf aphid bird-cherry aphid black bean aphid black cherry aphid black citrus aphid black currant aphid black peach aphid box elder aphid brown citrus aphid brown peach aphid brown pear aphid buckthorn aphid cabbage aphid carrot aphid cereal leaf aphid cherry aphid clove aphid corn leaf aphid corn root aphid cotton aphid cowpea aphid currant aphid currant-sowthistle aphid damson-hop aphid English grain aphid foxglove aphid fringed orchid aphid gall aphid glasshouse and potato aphid gooseberry aphid grain aphid
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