serica

S1E1R1I1C3A1
UK/ˈsɛrɪkə/

noun

Any June beetle of the genus Serica.

Origintranslingual Serica ← Latin sērica →
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Meanings

serica1

nounserica (plural sericas)

plural sericas

  1. uncommonbiologyAny June beetle of the genus Serica.

    Sericas are often referred to as small June beetles. Sericas feed on plant roots.

    “Serica, small June beetles”, in foothillpest.com, Foothill Sierra Pest Control, archived from the original on 01 Oct 2023
    1 more example

    Described in 1856, it took nearly a century to match his type with a single male from Lee County, Texas, previously recorded by the writer. Thus texana has been one of the rarest sericas in collections.

    1967 September 28, R. W. Dawson, “New and Little Known Species of Serica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) X”, in Journal of the New York Entomological Society, volume 75, Serica texana LeConte

Serica2

proper noun
  1. historicalAn ancient empire in East Asia, North China reached overland as opposed to the Sinae, the South Chinese reached by sea.

Origin

serica · noun

  1. Latinsērica“garments, silk”
  2. translingualSerica
  3. Englishserica

Borrowed from translingual Serica, from Latin sērica (“garments, silk”).

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Serica · proper noun

  1. Old Chinese絲“silk”
  2. Ancient GreekΣηρικά
  3. LatinSerica
  4. EnglishSerica

Learned borrowing from Latin Serica, from Ancient Greek Σηρικά (Sēriká), from Σῆρες (Sêres, “Seres”) + -ική (-ikḗ), from σήρ (sḗr, “silkworm”), likely ultimately from Old Chinese 絲 (*sə, “silk”).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek, Old Chinese

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Translations

Ancient Greek Σηρικά
  • Σηρικά (Sēriká)Northern China as known to the ancient Greeks and Romans — see also China, Cathay
Arabic سَرِيكَة
  • سَرِيكَة (sarīka)scarab of the genus Serica
Chinese Mandarin 塞里斯, 賽里斯
  • 塞里斯 (sàilǐsī)Northern China as known to the ancient Greeks and Romans — see also China, Cathay
  • 賽里斯 (sàilǐsī)Northern China as known to the ancient Greeks and Romans — see also China, Cathay
Latin Sērica
  • SēricaNorthern China as known to the ancient Greeks and Romans — see also China, Cathay
Polish Serika
  • SerikaNorthern China as known to the ancient Greeks and Romans — see also China, Cathay

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

cariesCaires
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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