maggot

noun

mag·​got ˈma-gət 

1

: a soft-bodied legless grub that is the larva of a dipterous insect (such as the housefly)

2

: a fantastic or eccentric idea : whim

maggoty

ˈma-gə-tē 

adjective

Synonyms

• bee
• caprice
• crank
• fancy
• freak
• humor
• kink
• megrim
• notion
• vagary
• vagrancy
• whim
• whimsy
• whimsey

Examples of maggot in a Sentence

The rotten meat was infested with maggots.

the last maggot he got in his head resulted in a disastrous extramarital affair

Recent Examples on the Web

The bag had maggots inside and inside the suitcase police found the decomposing body of Johnson’s 7-year-old niece, Joshlyn Marie James Johnson, according to the news outlet. —Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2025

Pouring boiling water over maggots should kill them, according to home.howstuffworks.com. —Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Aug. 2024

Scattering onion plants among companions throughout the garden is a great way to reduce pressure from one of the most common pests, onion maggots. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 17 July 2024

These hatch to produce maggots that burrow, or screw, into the flesh causing intense pain, injury and in some cases death to the affected animal. —Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English magot, probably alteration of mathek, maddok; akin to Middle Low German mēdeke maggot, Old Norse mathkr, Old English matha

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing maggot

• apple maggot

Kids Definition

maggot

noun

mag·​got ˈmag-ət 

: a soft-bodied legless larva of a two-winged fly (as the housefly)

Medical Definition

maggot

noun

mag·​got ˈmag-ət 

: a soft-bodied legless grub that is the larva of a dipteran fly (as the housefly) and develops usually in decaying organic matter or as a parasite in plants or animals