The scientific family name for bed bugs and closely related blood-feeding insects found worldwide in human habitats.
From Latin cimex plus -idae, the standardized taxonomic suffix for biological families. Established in formal binomial nomenclature in the 18th century by entomologists organizing hemipteran insects.
Cimicidae has only recently become famous because bed bug infestations spiked dramatically in the 2000s—for decades, DDT had nearly eliminated them, but resistance evolved. They're actually making a comeback as a public health reminder about antibiotic/pesticide resistance!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.