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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"We used species distribution models of three major mosquito complexes together with paleoclimate models," explains lead author Dr. Margherita Colucci of the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Cambridge.
From Science Daily • May 3, 2026
The team also launched an interactive public website that lets users explore mosquito movement and behavior.
From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026
My body was covered in a handful of enlarged mosquito bites, many of them already open gashes from my relentless itching.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
Southern California’s mosquito season typically begins in early May, with the insect’s activity tapering off around October.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
We sat in silence, and I felt an unseen mosquito feasting on my ankles, adding to my general misery.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
