: any of numerous very small soft-bodied homopterous insects (superfamily Aphidoidea) that suck the juices of plants
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Insects like aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, fungus gnats, and more can affect your plant's health, leading to stunted, distorted growth, root damage, premature leaf drop, and even plant death.
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Molly Burford, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
Dormant oil is a slightly more concentrated form of horticultural oil, which can be used to smother some fungal spores and overwintering insect pests like aphids, mites, and scale.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2026
Cleaning them helps protect your investment and prevents cross-contamination of fungus, aphids, and other problems that can prevent plants from thriving.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 10 Feb. 2026
Sweet alyssum, allium, cilantro, nasturtium, beans, peas, and marigolds all help protect your crop from common potato pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, aphids, and cutworms.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Feb. 2026
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Molly Burford, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
Dormant oil is a slightly more concentrated form of horticultural oil, which can be used to smother some fungal spores and overwintering insect pests like aphids, mites, and scale.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2026
Cleaning them helps protect your investment and prevents cross-contamination of fungus, aphids, and other problems that can prevent plants from thriving.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 10 Feb. 2026
Sweet alyssum, allium, cilantro, nasturtium, beans, peas, and marigolds all help protect your crop from common potato pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, aphids, and cutworms.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aphid
Cite this Entry
“Aphid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aphid. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
aphid
noun
ˈā-fəd 
also ˈaf-əd
: any of numerous small soft-bodied insects that suck the juices of plants
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