anopheles

American  

[uh-nof-uh-leez] / əˈnɒf əˌliz /

noun

1. any mosquito of the genus Anopheles, certain species of which are vectors of the parasite causing malaria in humans, distinguished from other mosquitoes by the absence of breathing tubes in the larvae and by the head-downward stance of the adult while resting or feeding.

---

anopheles British  

/ əˈnɒfɪˌliːz /

noun

1. any of various mosquitoes constituting the genus Anopheles, some species of which transmit the malaria parasite to man

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anopheline
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• anopheles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of anopheles

1895–1900; < New Latin < Greek anōphelḗs useless, hurtful, harmful, equivalent to an- an- ¹ + -ōpheles- variant stem of óphelos profit; earlier ( a ) n- (with vowel lengthening) + opheles-, written in Mycenaean Greek as nopere

Example Sentences

Malaria, a parasitic disease spread by Anopheles mosquitoes, has long been one of the world's top killers.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2024

Malaria is carried by dozens of species of Anopheles mosquitoes, also known as marsh or nail mosquitoes.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2024

The release is part of the Djibouti Friendly Mosquito Program which was started two years ago to stop the spread of Anopheles stephensi, an invasive species of mosquito first detected in the country in 2012.

From BBC • May 23, 2024

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite that spreads from bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2024

Mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles may inject into the human bloodstream the single-celled organism of malaria.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson