Illustration of flea
: any of an order (Siphonaptera) of small wingless bloodsucking insects that have a hard laterally compressed body and legs adapted to leaping and that feed on warm-blooded animals
see also:
Examples of flea in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Remove brush, leaf, and firewood piles that provide shelter to animals and attract fleas.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 June 2026
Up until his first day of filming Jackass, Steve-O was a clown in nightclubs, cruise ships and at a flea-market circus.
—Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
Authorities said many of the dogs suffered from severe flea infestation, and some of the pups were underweight.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026
That challenges our previous assumption that plague spillover was a side effect of people taking up farming and settling in permanent villages and towns, living closer to each other and to an assortment of animals (and their fleas).
—ArsTechnica, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for flea
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 June 2026
Up until his first day of filming Jackass, Steve-O was a clown in nightclubs, cruise ships and at a flea-market circus.
—Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
Authorities said many of the dogs suffered from severe flea infestation, and some of the pups were underweight.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026
That challenges our previous assumption that plague spillover was a side effect of people taking up farming and settling in permanent villages and towns, living closer to each other and to an assortment of animals (and their fleas).
—ArsTechnica, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for flea
Cite this Entry
“Flea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flea. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flea
noun
: any of an order of small wingless bloodsucking insects with a hard body and legs used for leaping
Medical Definition
flea
noun
: any of the order Siphonaptera comprising wingless bloodsucking insects that have a hard laterally compressed body and legs adapted to leaping and that feed on warm-blooded animals see cat flea, chigoe sense 1, dog flea, rat flea, sand flea, sticktight flea
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
