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Glite Dictionary
bark-louse

bark-louse

9.9
A small insect that lives on tree bark and eats mold or tiny plant bits
  • noun
  • /bɑrk-laʊs/
translation icon : cochinilla de la corteza
  • We found a bark-louse colony clinging to the rough trunk of the maple tree.

Examples

  • Several species of bark-louse can be found in temperate forests around the world.

  • The bark-louse is often found on oak trees.

  • A bark-louse infestation often resembles fine dust on the surface of tree bark.

  • Did you see the bark-lice on the tree?

  • A bark-louse infestation can damage the health of trees by feeding on their bark.

  • The scientist studied a variety of bark-louse species that live on different trees.

  • While hiking, we noticed a bark-louse crawling on the bark of a tall pine tree.

Synonyms

bark louse
vsbark-louse
9.6

Small insect that lives on tree bark and eats fungi and dead plant parts

is the same meaning but written with a hyphenated form

Surface Forms

bark-louse singular
bark-louses plural

Morphology

bark-louse = bark + louse (transparent) = bark + louse

A straightforward compound of 'bark' and 'louse' meaning an insect associated with tree bark, so the meaning follows directly from the parts.

Etymology

Bark-louse is a simple compound of bark and louse, where bark means 'the outside of a tree' and louse is a common word for 'a very small insect', like the lice that can live in hair. So a bark-louse is literally a small insect that lives on tree bark and eats tiny plants or fungi there.