flea

noun

: any of an order (Siphonaptera) of small wingless bloodsucking insects that have a hard laterally compressed body and legs adapted to leaping and that feed on warm-blooded animals

Illustration of flea

Illustration of flea
Phrases
flea in one's ear
: rebuke
sent him away with a flea in his ear

Examples of flea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The bites of infected fleas and rats spread plague. Claire Gillespie, Health, 22 Apr. 2024 The fish were spawning, bunched in the shallows thicker than fleas on a hound. Don Wirth, Field & Stream, 4 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for flea 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flea.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fle, from Old English flēa; akin to Old High German flōh flea

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flea was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near flea

Cite this Entry

“Flea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flea. Accessed 4 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

flea

noun
: any of an order of small wingless bloodsucking insects with a hard body and legs used for leaping

Medical Definition

flea

noun
: any of the order Siphonaptera comprising wingless bloodsucking insects that have a hard laterally compressed body and legs adapted to leaping and that feed on warm-blooded animals see cat flea, chigoe sense 1, dog flea, rat flea, sand flea, sticktight flea

More from Merriam-Webster on flea

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