scale insect
1Scale insect — Temporal range: Lower Cretaceous–recent …
2Scale insect — Scale Scale, n. [Cf. AS. scealu, scalu, a shell, parings; akin to D. schaal, G. schale, OHG. scala, Dan. & Sw. skal a shell, Dan. ski[ae]l a fish scale, Goth. skalja tile, and E. shale, shell, and perhaps also to scale of a balance; but perhaps… …
3scale insect — n. any of various families of small homopteran insects destructive to plants: the females secrete a round, wax scale under which they live and lay their eggs …
4scale insect — any of numerous small, plant sucking homopterous insects of the superfamily Coccoidea, the males of which are winged and the females wingless, often covered by a waxy secretion resembling scales. [1830 40] * * * Any member of several families of… …
5scale insect — scale′ in sect n. ent any of numerous small plant sucking insects of the superfamily Coccoidea, the females of which are often covered by a waxy secretion resembling scales …
6scale insect — noun small homopterous insect that usually lives and feeds on plants and secretes a protective waxy covering • Hypernyms: ↑coccid insect • Hyponyms: ↑soft scale, ↑wax insect, ↑armored scale, ↑cochineal insect, ↑cochineal, ↑ …
7scale insect — type of insect that attaches itself to a plant and feeds on the leaves …
8scale insect — noun Date: 1840 any of numerous small prolific homopterous insects (superfamily Coccoidea) that have winged males, wingless scale covered females attached to the host plant, and young that suck the juices of plants and some of which are serious… …
9scale insect — noun a small bug which secretes a protective shield like scale and spends its life attached to a single plant. [Family Coccidae: many species.] …
10scale insect — /ˈskeɪl ˌɪnsɛkt/ (say skayl .insekt) noun any of various small plant destroying insects of the homopterous superfamily Coccoidea, the females of which mostly have the body and eggs covered by a large scale or shield formed by secretions …
