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mosquito

Browse the Dictionary:: A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; X; Y; Z; #

mosquito

Main Entry:: mos·qui·to
Pronunciation:: \mə-ˈskē-(ˌ)tō\
Function:: noun
Inflected Form(s):: plural mos·qui·toes also mos·qui·tos
Etymology:: Spanish, diminutive of mosca fly, from Latin musca — more at midge
Date:: circa 1583

: 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

— mos·qui·to·ey

Listen to the pronunciation of mosquitoey

\-ˈskē-tə-wē\ adjective

[mosquito illustration]

Learn more about "mosquito" and related topics at Britannica.com

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