soft scale
- noun
- /sɔft skeɪl/
- Specialized
:
cochinilla blanda
- The citrus tree was infested with soft scale, damaging its leaves and branches.
Examples
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Gardeners often spray horticultural oils to control soft scale on ornamental plants.
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Biological controls such as ladybugs are effective against soft scale infestations.
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The soft scale attacked my indoor plants.
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Many soft scales can be found on citrus trees.
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Gardeners often spray horticultural oils to control soft scale on ornamental plants.
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The citrus tree was infested with soft scale, damaging its leaves and branches.
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Biological controls such as ladybugs are effective against soft scale infestations.
Synonyms
1
7.3
A small insect that sucks plant sap and has a hard waxy covering
A small brown insect that lives on plants, drinks their juice and weakens them
A small soft insect that sucks sap from citrus trees and damages crops
How Armored
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is a literal adjective+noun composition: 'soft' describes the quality of a 'scale' (a covering), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a kind of scale that is soft — here a scale insect with a soft/leathery covering. The meaning follows ordinary compositional patterns and is therefore directly derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
The name soft scale comes from tiny 'insects' that look like small soft scales or shells on plant leaves. The words soft and scale describe their soft, scale-like cover, so soft scale means a small plant 'pest' that can damage leaves and stems.