malacoderm

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noun

One of a former tribe of beetles (Malacodermata), with a soft and flexible body.

“The fireflies are malacoderms.”

OriginAncient Greek μαλακός →
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Meanings

nounmalacoderm (plural malacoderms)

plural malacoderms

  1. datedbiologyOne of a former tribe of beetles (Malacodermata), with a soft and flexible body.

    The fireflies are malacoderms.

    1 more example

    In the recently published volumes on the Longicorn and Malacoderm beetles of Central America^([108]) there are numbers of beautifully coloured figures of the new species; and on looking over them we are struck by the curious resemblance of some of the Longicorns to species of the Malacoderm group.

    1889, Alfred Russel Wallace, Darwinism, page 222

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekμαλακός“soft”
  2. Englishmalacoderm

Borrowed from Ancient Greek μαλακός (malakós, “soft”) + -derm.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

malacoderm. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/malacoderm

MLA

“malacoderm.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/malacoderm. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “malacoderm,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/malacoderm.

Source: malacoderm on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.