maggot
Americannoun
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a soft-bodied, legless larva of certain flies.
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Archaic. an odd fancy; whim.
noun
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the soft limbless larva of dipterous insects, esp the housefly and blowfly, occurring in decaying organic matter
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rare a fancy or whim
Etymology
Origin of maggot
1425–75; late Middle English magot, magat, unexplained variant of maddock, Middle English mathek < Old Norse mathkr; akin to Danish maddik maggot, Old English matha, mathu grub, maggot, Old High German mado maggot
Explanation
A maggot is a small, wormlike fly larva. Maggots are sometimes found in garbage, compost piles, or other places where they can feed on decaying plants and organic matter. Yum. The nicest way to think of a maggot is as a baby fly — when maggots grow up, that's just what they become. Because maggot isn't a strictly scientific term, its definition can be vague, sometimes meaning "grub" and other times, "larva" in general. Maggots are usually found in a large, wriggling group, and can be harmful to farm animals with cuts or sores, as they can infest their skin.
Vocabulary lists containing maggot
Seedfolks
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 3
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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.
It is the larval, or maggot, stage of a metallic-looking blowfly known as Cochliomyia hominivorax.
From Science Daily • Dec. 17, 2025
After feeding for about seven days, a maggot will fall to the ground, dig into the soil and then awaken as an adult fly.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2025
This enzyme protects the maggot from infections, protecting us in the process.
From Slate • Feb. 25, 2024
Except when a maggot is present; then only 15 fly eggs are permitted.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 2, 2022
The man kept staring as though she were a maggot on his dish.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
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.
