mosquito

¹

[muh-skee-toh]

noun

plural

mosquitoes, mosquitos 

1. 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.

2. 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).

Mosquito

²

[muh-skee-toh]

noun

plural

Mosquitos ,

plural

Mosquito .

1. Miskito.

mosquito

/ məˈskiːtəʊ /

noun

1. any dipterous insect of the family Culicidae: the females have a long proboscis adapted for piercing the skin of man and animals to suck their blood See also aedes anopheles culex

Other Word Forms

• mosquitoey adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mosquito¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Spanish, equivalent to mosc(a) “fly” (from Latin musca ) + -ito diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of mosquito¹

C16: from Spanish, diminutive of mosca fly, from Latin musca

Example Sentences

Tired of spending frigid winters shoveling snow, or of sweating bullets and swatting mosquitoes in the summer?

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I look down at my arms—littered with tiny red welts from mosquitoes that apparently decided to use me as their pizza party.

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Now she endured the indifferent kisses of her grandchildren as if she was being pestered by mosquitoes.

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To catch the minute, translucent fish, fishermen often use mosquito nets in wooden frames.

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Malaria is caused by parasites that are spread by mosquitoes.

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Related Words

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• termite 
• tick