mealybug

noun

mealy·​bug ˈmē-lē-ˌbəg How to pronounce mealybug (audio)
: any of a family (Pseudococcidae) of scale insects that have a white cottony or waxy covering and are destructive pests especially of fruit trees

Examples of mealybug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Warm, humid conditions also breed mealybugs, which can spread an infection that spoils cacao crops. Maya Huter, NBC News, 13 Feb. 2025 Scale, aphids, mealybugs, and spider mite outbreaks occur on occasion. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 12 Feb. 2025 Visible pests, like mealybugs and spider mites, tend to hang out under plant leaves or in the nooks and crannies between leaves and stems. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2025 Sometimes, scales, aphids, and mealybugs bother this plant. Staff Author Published, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mealybug 

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mealybug was in 1824

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Cite this Entry

“Mealybug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mealybug. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

mealybug

noun
mealy·​bug ˈmē-lē-ˌbəg How to pronounce mealybug (audio)
: any of numerous scale insects that have a white cottony or waxy covering and are destructive pests especially of fruit trees

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