Illustration of mosquito
mosquito
noun
mos·qui·to
mə-ˈskē-(ˌ)tō 
plural mosquitoes also mosquitos
: any of a family (Culicidae) of dipteran flies with females that have a set of slender organs in the proboscis adapted to puncture the skin of animals and to suck their blood and that are in some cases vectors of serious diseases
Examples of mosquito in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If a mosquito or a midge — a tiny fly – bites an infected critter and then goes for a blood meal from a human, the virus can take root.
—
Maria Isabel Barros Guinle, NPR, 20 Nov. 2024
Researchers have, instead, looked to engineer mosquitoes to prevent the spread of dengue.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2024
These mosquitoes are also responsible for spreading Zika and chikungunya viruses.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2024
Janine and Gregory debut their first-ever couple look with … the mosquito trapped in amber and Mr. DNA from Jurassic Park?
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mosquito 
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Maria Isabel Barros Guinle, NPR, 20 Nov. 2024
Researchers have, instead, looked to engineer mosquitoes to prevent the spread of dengue.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2024
These mosquitoes are also responsible for spreading Zika and chikungunya viruses.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2024
Janine and Gregory debut their first-ever couple look with … the mosquito trapped in amber and Mr. DNA from Jurassic Park?
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mosquito
Dictionary Entries Near mosquito
Cite this Entry
“Mosquito.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosquito. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mosquito
noun
mos·qui·to
mə-ˈskēt-ō
plural mosquitoes also mosquitos
: any of numerous two-winged flies of which the females have a needlelike structure of the mouth region adapted to puncture the skin and suck the blood of animals
Etymology
from Spanish mosquito "mosquito," literally "little fly," from mosca "fly"
Medical Definition
mosquito
noun
mos·qui·to
mə-ˈskēt-(ˌ)ō, -ə(-w)
plural mosquitoes also mosquitos
: any of numerous dipteran flies of the family Culicidae that have a rather narrow abdomen, usually a long slender rigid proboscis, and narrow wings with a fringe of scales on the margin and usually on each side of the wing veins, that have in the male broad feathery antennae and mouthparts not fitted for piercing and in the female slender antennae and a set of needlelike organs in the proboscis with which they puncture the skin of animals to suck the blood, that lay their eggs on the surface of stagnant water, that include many species which pass through several generations in the course of a year and hibernate as adults or winter in the egg state, and that include some species which are the only vectors of certain diseases see aedes, anopheles, culex
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