Oniscus

noun

Onis·​cus

ōˈniskəs

: a genus (the type of the family Oniscidae) comprising isopods that cannot roll into a ball and formerly including most of the known isopods but now restricted to a few chiefly Old World terrestrial forms with flattened body, large eyes, and 3-jointed antennal flagella

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, wood louse from Greek oniskos, from onos wood louse, ass + -iskos, diminutive noun suffix

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!