armadillo bug en · NOUN
Etymology
From armadillo + bug, owing to its resemblance to the mammal in form and certain behaviors.
Meanings
-
A common name for several species of woodlouse (such as those in family Armadillidiidae) that roll into a ball when disturbed.
Dad held his breath while Pam rolled over like an armadillo bug. Mom stood up from her chair and wandered to the edge of the porch watching, but Pam wasn't hurt. She hadn't even let go of the ball!
2003, Helen Kay Polaski, Forget me Knots... from the Front Porch, →ISBN, page 70:At Tulpehocken Street, playing in the woodpile by the stable, the creature, which I called an armadillo bug, somehow got into my ear.
1946, Cornelius Weygandt, On the Edge of Evening, →OCLC, page 21:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| armadillo bugs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |