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Synonyms

mosquito

1 American  
[muh-skee-toh] / məˈski toʊ /

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 American  
[muh-skee-toh] / məˈski toʊ /

noun

plural

Mosquitos,

plural

Mosquito

  1. Miskito.

mosquito British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • mosquitoey adjective

Etymology

Origin of mosquito

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

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.

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

They were unable to fully develop inside either the human host or the mosquito, effectively blocking the chain of transmission that allows malaria to spread.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2026

This isn’t the first time unusual weather has spawned a mosquito horde in the region during what should be the insect’s offseason.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

Grandpop was flinging his hand around dismissively, like he was swatting at a mosquito.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

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.