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
Due to the laws of optics, mosquitoes can discern an adult-size human only at a few meters away.
—
David Hu, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
Be sure to keep containers covered to prevent mosquitoes and debris.
—Claire Osborn, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
Since November 2023 on the island of Maui, Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project has been releasing male mosquitoes with an incompatible strain in an effort to suppress mosquito populations and reduce disease transmission.
—Stephanie Pearson, Outside, 17 Mar. 2026
Because these mosquitoes wouldn’t fly near humans, the researchers had to collect larvae from the ground beneath the trees.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
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David Hu, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
Be sure to keep containers covered to prevent mosquitoes and debris.
—Claire Osborn, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
Since November 2023 on the island of Maui, Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project has been releasing male mosquitoes with an incompatible strain in an effort to suppress mosquito populations and reduce disease transmission.
—Stephanie Pearson, Outside, 17 Mar. 2026
Because these mosquitoes wouldn’t fly near humans, the researchers had to collect larvae from the ground beneath the trees.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
Cite this Entry
“Mosquito.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosquito. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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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