Illustration of insect
- 1 labial palpus
- 2 maxillary palpus
- 3 simple eye
- 4 antenna
- 5 compound eye
- 6 prothorax
- 7 tympanum
- 8 wing
- 9 ovipositor
- 10 spiracles
- 11 abdomen
- 12 metathorax
- 13 mesothorax
1
a
: any of a class (Insecta) of arthropods (such as bugs or bees) with well-defined head, thorax, and abdomen, only three pairs of legs, and typically one or two pairs of wings
b
: any of numerous small invertebrate animals (such as spiders or centipedes) that are more or less obviously segmented
—not used technically
2
: a trivial or contemptible person
insect
adjective
Did you know?
The bodies of insects have segments, or divisions, so they appear to have a series of notches cut into them. This led the Greek philosopher Aristotle to give insects the name entomon “a thing cut into.” Entomon comes from the prefix en- “in,” combined with the verb temnein “to cut.” Later, when the Romans wanted a word for this kind of creature, they did not simply borrow the Greek word. Instead they translated it with the Latin word insectum, from the verb insecare “to cut into.” Insectum was borrowed into English as insect.
Synonyms
Examples of insect in a Sentence
a swarm of flying insects
the magazine's editor in chief was notorious for treating staffers as insects, often not even bothering to learn their names
Recent Examples on the Web
The windows leak, the gutters need cleaning, insects are making their way inside and, to make matters worse, Rolf has a hard time keeping a carer.
—
Alissa Simon, Variety, 16 Feb. 2025
In addition to butterflies, the mountain supports 195 species of birds, 13 reptile species, six amphibian species, small mammals, and rare insects such as the San Francisco Forktail Damselfly, according to San Bruno Mountain Watch.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025
Bumblebees and other insects were there too and had editors snapping away to capture the true-to-nature iridescence of their wings.
—Lily Templeton, WWD, 10 Feb. 2025
Sought after by collectors and enthusiasts, exotic insects are highly popular and often sold online and underground, authorities said.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for insect 
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Alissa Simon, Variety, 16 Feb. 2025
In addition to butterflies, the mountain supports 195 species of birds, 13 reptile species, six amphibian species, small mammals, and rare insects such as the San Francisco Forktail Damselfly, according to San Bruno Mountain Watch.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025
Bumblebees and other insects were there too and had editors snapping away to capture the true-to-nature iridescence of their wings.
—Lily Templeton, WWD, 10 Feb. 2025
Sought after by collectors and enthusiasts, exotic insects are highly popular and often sold online and underground, authorities said.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for insect
Dictionary Entries Near insect
Cite this Entry
“Insect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insect. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
insect
noun
in·sect
ˈin-ˌsekt 
1
: any of numerous small invertebrate animals (as spiders or centipedes) that are more or less obviously made up of segments
—not used technically
2
: any of a class of arthropods (as butterflies, true bugs, two-winged flies, bees, and grasshoppers) with the body clearly divided into a head, thorax, and abdomen, with three pairs of jointed legs, and usually with one or two pairs of wings
Etymology
from Latin insectum "insect," derived from insecare "to cut into," from in- "in" and secare "to cut" — related to dissect, section
Word Origin
The bodies of insects have segments, or divisions. Thus they seem to have a series of notches cut into them. This appearance led the Greek philosopher Aristotle to give insects the name entomon "a thing cut into." Entomon comes from the prefix en- "in," combined with the verb temnein "to cut." Later, when the Romans wanted a word for this kind of creature, they did not simply borrow the Greek word. Instead they translated it into the Latin word insectum, from the verb insecare "to cut into." Insectum was borrowed into English as insect.
Medical Definition
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