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

"This water is now in such a condition that aquatic creatures can live very well in it, whereas earlier, even a mosquito could not thrive in this water," Gupta told reporters.

Read more on Barron's

By exploiting mosquitoes' attraction to flowers, an international team of researchers engineered a new strain of Metarhizium fungus that releases a sweet aroma similar to real blooms.

Read more on Science Daily

In Southern California, October is the middle of mosquito season.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Iceland's cold climate and lack of stagnant water in which the insects can breed are key contributors to the country's former lack of mosquitoes, the World Population Review said.

Read more on BBC

Residents in a County Londonderry village have said they are being "tormented" once again by biting insects, which experts have identified as mosquitoes.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• ant 
• aphid 
• bee 
• beetle 
• butterfly 
• cockroach 
• dragonfly 
• flea 
• fruit fly 
• gnat 
• grasshopper 
• ladybug 
• mite 
• moth 
• pest 
• spider 
• termite 
• tick