armadillidium

noun

UK /ˌɑːmədɪˈlɪdiəm/

US /ˌɑːrmədɪˈlɪdiəm/

A small bug with a hard shell that can roll up into a little ball.

We found an armadillidium curled up under a rock in the garden.

SYNONYMS

pill bug roly-poly woodlouse slater doodlebug

RELATED WORDS

isopod crustacean woodlouse sowbug terrestrial

OTHER MEANINGS

2. The genus name for a group of woodlice commonly called pill bugs.

Scientists classify the common pill bug under the genus Armadillidium.

3. Any of several species of land-dwelling crustaceans that can roll into a ball for protection.

Armadillidium species are often kept in terrariums because they are easy to care for.

4. A creature used in classrooms to teach children about decomposition and soil life.

The teacher brought a jar of armadillidia for the science lesson on decomposers.