Cimicid

/sɪˈmɪsɪd/ noun

Definition

Any member of the family Cimicidae, which includes bed bugs and related hemipteran insects that feed on blood.

Etymology

From cimex plus the suffix -id, used in taxonomy to denote members of a family. This follows the Linnaean naming convention established in the 18th century for biological classification.

Kelly Says

The suffix -id is borrowed from Greek and Latin, and scientists use it constantly to name groups: what you call 'a humanoid' is literally a 'human-like thing,' so 'cimicid' means 'bug-like thing' in the formal family sense!

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