Brŭ'chus, n.

n. [Gr. βρώκειν, to bite.] (Entom.) A genus of coleopterous insects of the group Rhynchophora, the females of which deposit their eggs in the germ of the bean, pea, and other leguminous plants. The seed, becoming matured, is devoured by the larva, and the holes so often observed in peas are those made by the perfect insect to effect its escape. The genus is divided into several sub-genera, constituting a family named Bruchidæ. Dallas.