any of numerous dipterous insects of the family Culicidae, the females of which suck the blood of animals and humans, some species transmitting certain diseases, as malaria and yellow fever.
Military. Mosquito, a twin-engined, two-seat British fighter and bomber of World War II, made largely of plywood and having a top speed of 380 miles per hour (610 km/h).
First recorded in 1575–85; from Spanish, equivalent to mosc(a) “fly” (from Latin musca ) + -ito diminutive suffix
A mosquito is a tiny stinging insect that leaves an itchy welt on your skin. Between its annoying bites and its ability to spread disease, the mosquito is not the most popular of insects (unlike the fair ladybug). Male mosquitoes feed on nectar and live only a few days, while females need to feed on blood in order for their eggs to develop and be laid. Female mosquitoes, therefore, can be a nuisance on summer evenings, and can even be downright dangerous in tropical areas where they often spread diseases like malaria. In Spanish, mosquito means "little gnat," from mosca, "gnat or fly."
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Over the last 12 months more than 700 potential sightings and photos were submitted to the ongoing Mosquito Scotland project.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2025
One of the United States’ most beloved supper clubs is Mosquito Supper Club in New Orleans.
From Salon • Apr. 8, 2025
"Mosquito farming is coming," one social media comment read.
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2025
Mosquitoes pick up the virus after they bite an infected person, then spread it by biting others, according to Jason Farned, district manager of the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2024
The following year Finlay presented his conclusions in a paper called “The Mosquito Hypothetically Considered as the Agent of Yellow Fever.”
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
