Mosquito

Pronunciation

• Canada IPA: /məˈski.toÊŠ/
• RP IPA: /mÉ’sˈkiː.təʊ/
• Rhymes: -iːtəʊ

Origin

From Spanish mosquito ("gnat"), diminutive of Spanish mosca ("fly"), from Latin musca ("fly"), from Proto-Indo-European *mūs- ("fly, stinging fly, gnat"). Cognate with Flemish meuzie ("mosquito"), Swedish dialectal mausa ("mosquito"), Lithuanian musė ("a fly"). See also midge.

Full definition of mosquito

Noun

1. A small flying insect of the family Culicidae, known for biting and sucking blood, leaving an itching bump on the skin. However, only the female of the species bites animals and humans. They are known to carry diseases like malaria and yellow fever.

Hypernyms

• gnat
• midge

Derived terms

• Mosquito Coast
• mosquito coil
• mosquito bar
• mosquito fleet
• mosquito hawk
• mosquito net, mosquito netting

Related terms

• Diminutive: mossie/mozzie Australia, UK or skeeter US

Verb

1. To fly close to the ground, seemingly without a course.----