Anobium
|a-no-bi-um|
🇺🇸
/əˈnoʊbiəm/
🇬🇧
/əˈnəʊbiəm/
genus of wood-boring beetles
Etymology
'Anobium' originates from New Latin as a taxonomic genus name coined by entomologists; the form is based on classical-language roots used in scientific nomenclature rather than a direct modern English word.
'Anobium' was established as a genus name in New Latin (used in biological classification) and gave its name to the family Anobiidae; later taxonomic revisions have placed these beetles in the family Ptinidae, but the genus name 'Anobium' continues to be used for the group.
Initially a technical scientific name for a taxonomic genus, the term has retained that technical sense but has also entered informal English as a name for certain wood-boring (furniture) beetles.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a genus of small wood-boring beetles in the family Ptinidae (formerly placed in Anobiidae), which includes species such as Anobium punctatum (the common furniture beetle).
Anobium punctatum is one of the best-known species of the genus Anobium and commonly damages wooden furniture and structural timber.
Synonyms
Noun 2
informal usage referring to an individual beetle of this genus (a furniture beetle).
We found several Anobium in the attic beams after the renovation.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/21 02:16