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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Methods to help prevention dengue infection include using effective mosquito repellents, wearing long-sleeve shirts and long pants when outside, and staying in places with air conditioning, when possible. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2024 Products like mosquito nets and bug sprays can help prevent mosquito bites and the spread of malaria. Devika Rao, theweek, 31 Oct. 2024 Dylan had the opposite problem, and his puffed up like so many mosquito bites. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024 Preventing mosquito bites is important for more reasons than not having to deal with the itch the bites cause. Adrienne Dellwo, Verywell Health, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mosquito 

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 26 Nov. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!