dermestid

der·mes·tid

 (dər-mĕs′tĭd)

n.

Any of various beetles of the family Dermestidae, having larvae that feed chiefly on materials of animal origin such as fur, hides, wool, and stored food.

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[From New Latin Dermēstidae, family name, from Dermēstēs, type genus, from Greek dermēstēs, worm that eats skin or leather, derma, skin; see der- in Indo-European roots, edō, es-, to eat; see ed- in Indo-European roots.]

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der·mes′tid adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

dermestid

(ˌdɜːˈmɛstɪd)

n

(Animals) any beetle of the family Dermestidae, whose members are destructive at both larval and adult stages to a wide range of stored organic materials such as wool, fur, feathers, and meat. They include the bacon (or larder), cabinet, carpet, leather, and museum beetles

[C19: from New Latin dermestida, from Greek dermēstēs, from derma skin + esthiein to eat]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014