tobacco thrips

9.1

A small insect that feeds on and damages tobacco and peanut plants

noun
/təˈbækoʊ θrɪps/

Specialized

: trips del tabaco

Tobacco thrips can cause serious damage to young tobacco plants if not managed early.

Examples

Farmers monitor their crops regularly to check for signs of tobacco thrips infestation.
In recent years, tobacco thrips have also been found affecting peanut fields.
The tobacco thrips have caused significant damage to the crops.
Farmers are concerned about the tobacco thrips infestation this season.
Tobacco thrips can cause serious damage to young tobacco plants if not managed early.
Farmers monitor their crops regularly to check for signs of tobacco thrips infestation.
In recent years, tobacco thrips have also been found affecting peanut fields.

Synonyms

Frankliniella fusca

vstobacco thrips

Specialized

9.9

A tiny insect that damages tobacco and peanut plants

is the common nontechnical name used by farmers and general audiences

Surface Forms

tobacco thrips singular

tobacco thrips plural

Morphology

tobacco + Thrips

The phrase is a simple noun–noun compound where the head 'thrips' (small plant-damaging insects) modified by 'tobacco' denotes thrips associated with tobacco plants; a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to thrips that feed on or affect tobacco. This compositional pattern (plant name + pest) is cross-linguistically common and follows straightforward English compounding, so it is immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Tobacco thrips literally joins tobacco and thrips, naming the tiny, thin insects that live on and eat tobacco plants. So tobacco thrips means 'a very small insect that feeds on tobacco plants'.