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

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Cite this Entry

“Oniscus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Oniscus. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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