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n. Any of various small, soft-bodied insects of the superfamily Aphidoidea that feed by sucking sap from plants and that can reproduce asexually. Also called plant louse. [New Latin Aphis, Aphid-, type genus, coined by Carolus Linnaeus, perhaps as a back-formed singular *Aphīs, from plural *Aphīdes, irregularly derived from Greek apheideis, plural of apheidēs, unsparing, unmerciful, lavish (in reference to the damage caused by aphids or to their high reproductive rate) : a-, not; see A-1 + pheidesthai, to spare, be merciful, live thriftily; see bheid- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] a·phidi·an (ə-fĭdē-ən) adj. & n.  (click for a larger image) aphidvetch aphids Megoura viciae |
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