tarnished plant bug

noun

: a common hemipterous brownish bug (Lygus lineolaris) of eastern North America that causes injury to plants especially by sucking sap from buds, leaves, and fruits

Illustration of tarnished plant bug

Illustration of tarnished plant bug

Examples of tarnished plant bug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Other possible causes include frost injury to flowers and young fruits or tarnished plant bug injury. — Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, 18 June 2021 Attacks of tarnished plant bugs show up as black joints or brown, sunken areas. — The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, 19 Apr. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tarnished plant bug was in 1902

Rhymes for tarnished plant bug

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Browse Nearby Words

tarnishable
tarnished plant bug
tarnishproof
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Cite this Entry

“Tarnished plant bug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tarnished%20plant%20bug. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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