anobiidae
|a-no-bi-i-dae|
/ˌænəˈbaɪdiː/
family of wood-boring beetles
Etymology
'anobiidae' originates from New Latin, formed from the genus name 'Anobium' plus the zoological family suffix '-idae' (used to form animal family names).
'Anobiidae' was coined as a taxonomic family name based on the genus 'Anobium' (established in earlier zoological Latin usage) and later used in English scientific literature as the family name 'anobiidae'.
Initially the element 'Anobium' named a genus; over time the constructed form 'Anobiidae' came to denote the wider family of related beetles rather than just the single genus.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a family of beetles (traditionally called Anobiidae) that includes species known as death-watch beetles, furniture beetles, and woodworm beetles; larvae are wood-borers that can damage timber and wooden objects.
Species in Anobiidae are often responsible for structural damage to old timber.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a single beetle belonging to the family Anobiidae (an anobiid).
I found an anobiid in the old chest; its larvae may have caused the holes.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/17 05:51