mosquito

noun

mos·​qui·​to mə-ˈskē-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce mosquito (audio)
plural mosquitoes also mosquitos
: any of a family (Culicidae) of dipteran flies with females that have a set of slender organs in the proboscis adapted to puncture the skin of animals and to suck their blood and that are in some cases vectors of serious diseases
mosquitoey adjective

Illustration of mosquito

Illustration of mosquito

Examples of mosquito in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Unfortunately, mosquito control agencies throughout the state have inconsistent access to utility vault information which limits their ability to inspect and apply mosquito control products to the vaults. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 Unlike mosquitoes, crane flies do not have a feeding apparatus designed to puncture skin and draw blood. The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 The tent comes with mosquito netting that when gathered around the tent poles, looks like the elegant drapes of royalty on a picnic. Micaela Arnett, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2024 Climate disruption may have also given rise to more disease-carrying rats, mosquitos and other pests. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024 And stagnant pools of water are the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitos to lay their eggs. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 However, zappers lack selectivity, electrocuting mosquitoes, butterflies and fingers alike, Buddiga said. Sydney Maki, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 Every single mosquito that’s ever bitten you has been female. Kate Golembiewski, New York Times, 4 Dec. 2023 Related article There are ‘more ticks in more places’ — here’s how to avoid these bloodsuckers A third route of infection is through another vector such as ticks, fleas and mosquitoes. Katia Hetter, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mosquito.' 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

Spanish, diminutive of mosca fly, from Latin musca — more at midge

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mosquito was in 1572

Dictionary Entries Near mosquito

Cite this Entry

“Mosquito.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosquito. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mosquito

noun
mos·​qui·​to mə-ˈskēt-ō How to pronounce mosquito (audio)
plural mosquitoes also mosquitos
: any of numerous two-winged flies of which the females have a needlelike structure of the mouth region adapted to puncture the skin and suck the blood of animals
mosquitoey adjective
Etymology

from Spanish mosquito "mosquito," literally "little fly," from mosca "fly"

Medical Definition

mosquito

noun
mos·​qui·​to mə-ˈskēt-(ˌ)ō, -ə(-w) How to pronounce mosquito (audio)
plural mosquitoes also mosquitos
: any of numerous dipteran flies of the family Culicidae that have a rather narrow abdomen, usually a long slender rigid proboscis, and narrow wings with a fringe of scales on the margin and usually on each side of the wing veins, that have in the male broad feathery antennae and mouthparts not fitted for piercing and in the female slender antennae and a set of needlelike organs in the proboscis with which they puncture the skin of animals to suck the blood, that lay their eggs on the surface of stagnant water, that include many species which pass through several generations in the course of a year and hibernate as adults or winter in the egg state, and that include some species which are the only vectors of certain diseases see aedes, anopheles, culex

More from Merriam-Webster on mosquito

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