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
The key difference is that Skeeter syndrome occurs within hours of a mosquito bite.5
Summary
Cellulitis is a skin infection that affects the deep layers of the skin.
—
Josephine Hessert, Verywell Health, 20 Mar. 2025
His lab is studying how to control mosquitoes with less insecticide, and has equipment that nearby counties can use to monitor for West Nile virus in their mosquito populations.
—Meg Wingerter, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
It’s observed in various species—most notably, in vampire bats and mosquitoes.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
This was the dry season, which runs from December to April: the best time to visit, before the arrival of mosquitoes and uncomfortable heat.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
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Josephine Hessert, Verywell Health, 20 Mar. 2025
His lab is studying how to control mosquitoes with less insecticide, and has equipment that nearby counties can use to monitor for West Nile virus in their mosquito populations.
—Meg Wingerter, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
It’s observed in various species—most notably, in vampire bats and mosquitoes.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
This was the dry season, which runs from December to April: the best time to visit, before the arrival of mosquitoes and uncomfortable heat.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
Cite this Entry
“Mosquito.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosquito. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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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