Psocus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A genus of tiny winged insects, related to booklice, that feed on lichens, algae and fungi on bark and leaves
2. Small soft-bodied insects in the order Psocoptera, grouped into a genus of barklice found on tree trunks and foliage
3. A taxonomic group of minute, bark-dwelling insects that graze on microscopic growths such as lichen and mould

Etymology: The name "psocus" is a scientific coinage, not an everyday English word. It is the name of a genus of tiny insects, the booklice, which are harmless creatures that feed on mould and starch rather than on books. The genus name is Modern Latin, built on a Greek root that likely relates to "psokos," meaning "gnawing" or "rubbing." That fits an insect that scrapes at paper and fungal growth with its small mouthparts. The Greek root is linked to the verb "psochein," meaning to rub or crumble something into small pieces. Naturalists gave the name to these insects because of their habit of nibbling. The same root gives English its word "psocid," used for any member of the group, and the broader order that contains them, Psocoptera, is named on the same Greek base.

Synonyms: booklouse, psocid