pillbug
nounUK /ˈpɪl.bʌɡ/
US /ˈpɪl.bʌɡ/
A pillbug is a small gray bug that rolls up into a little ball when it gets scared.
We found a pillbug under the rock and watched it curl into a tiny ball.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A common name for any of several small terrestrial isopods that can roll into a ball.
The garden was full of pillbugs hiding under damp leaves.
3. A child's nickname for the roly-poly bug often kept as a temporary pet.
My little brother named his pillbug 'Speedy' and kept it in a jar for an afternoon.
4. Any of the woodlice in the family Armadillidiidae, known for their ability to conglobate.
Unlike most woodlice, a pillbug can roll itself into a perfect sphere.