deer tick

noun

: an ixodid tick (Ixodes scapularis synonym I. dammini) of the eastern U.S. and Canada that transmits the bacterium causing Lyme disease

called also black-legged tick

Illustration of deer tick

Examples of deer tick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The most common way to get Lyme disease is through the bite of the black-legged tick (also called the deer tick) or the western black-legged tick.1 These ticks carry and spread the bacterial strains that cause Lyme disease, specifically Borrelia burgdorferi and, rarely, Borrelia mayonii. —Jennifer Welsh Published, Verywell Health, 3 Feb. 2025

Certain species, such as the black-legged tick (also known as the deer tick), are known to transmit Lyme disease, which can affect both dogs and humans. —Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2024

Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns have boosted deer tick populations and, in turn, Lyme disease infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. —Maggie O'Neill, Health, 1 July 2024

The Kansas City area is home to multiple species of these blood-sucking insects, including the American dog tick, lone star tick and deer tick. —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

deer tick

noun

: a tick that transmits the bacterium causing Lyme disease

Medical Definition

deer tick

noun

ˈdi(ə)r- 

: a tick of the genus Ixodes (I. scapularis synonym I. dammini) that transmits the bacterium causing Lyme disease