insect
Americannoun
-
any animal of the class Insecta, comprising small, air-breathing arthropods having the body divided into three parts (head, thorax, and abdomen), and having three pairs of legs and usually two pairs of wings.
-
any small arthropod, such as a spider, tick, or centipede, having a superficial, general similarity to the insects.
-
a contemptible or unimportant person.
adjective
noun
-
any small air-breathing arthropod of the class Insecta, having a body divided into head, thorax, and abdomen, three pairs of legs, and (in most species) two pairs of wings. Insects comprise about five sixths of all known animal species, with a total of over one million named species
-
(loosely) any similar invertebrate, such as a spider, tick, or centipede
-
a contemptible, loathsome, or insignificant person
-
Any of very numerous, mostly small arthropods of the class Insecta, having six segmented legs in the adult stage and a body divided into three parts (the head, thorax, and abdomen). The head has a pair of antennae and the thorax usually has one or two pairs of wings. Most insects undergo substantial change in form during development from the young to the adult stage. More than 800,000 species are known, most of them beetles. Other insects include flies, bees, ants, grasshoppers, butterflies, cockroaches, aphids, and silverfish.
-
See Notes at biomass bug entomology
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of insect
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin insectum, noun use of neuter of insectus, past participle of insecāre “to incise, cut”; translation of Greek éntomon “insect,” literally, “notched or incised one”; see entomo-; cf. segment
Explanation
An insect is commonly called a bug. Flies, bees, and wasps are all insects. Insects are the tiny marvels of the natural world. From industrious ants to dazzling butterflies, these miniature critters come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, each with its own special role in ecosystems worldwide. With over a million species identified and countless more waiting to be discovered, insects continue to fascinate scientists and inspire curiosity in nature lovers everywhere. Insect comes from the Latin phrase animal insectum, which means "animal with a cut up (segmented) body."
Vocabulary lists containing insect
Buzzwords for National Honey Bee Day
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Cut Above: Sect, Sec
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Deep-diving insect larvae in an African lake are forcing scientists to reconsider a popular explanation for why insects are almost entirely absent from the open ocean.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
The same invasive insect was found to have infested grapevines sold at select Northern California Costco warehouses earlier this year, also triggering a major response to try to limit the insect’s impact.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
In an accompanying statement, the groups argued the rule changes could immediately harm wildlife including Florida manatees, grizzly bears, salmon and steelhead fish, bird species like rufa red knots and golden-cheeked warblers, and insect pollinators.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Urban and suburban landscapes provide ideal conditions, allowing Hierodula mantises to use structures such as insect hotels as productive hunting sites.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
She cupped the insect in her hands and carefully set it free outside.
From "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" by Eleanor Coerr
In hard-hit areas like Le Porge, experts say insects will have perished en masse and larger creatures from toads to lizards will not have been spared either.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Social insects including bees rely on cooling behavior for example fanning their wings when things get too hot to buffer the hive but there are limits as to how effective this is in extreme heat.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
When the researchers examined the larvae, they discovered that the insects had adapted part of their respiratory system into two pairs of small air sacs.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
People in an area that hosts many important butterfly sites are being urged to take part in a nationwide survey to help scientists understand how this year's hot weather has affected the insects.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
In the silence, Dicey could hear insects humming.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
