black-legged tick

noun

ˈblak-ˈlegd- 

-ˈlāgd-;

-ˈle-gəd-,

-ˈlā-

: either of two ixodid ticks:

a

: deer tick

b

: a tick (Ixodes pacificus) of the western U.S. and British Columbia that is the vector of several diseases (such as Lyme disease)

Examples of black-legged tick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lyme disease is spread by the bite of a black-legged tick. —Linda Carroll, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023

That means people need to worry all year about Lyme disease, which is spread by the bite of a black-legged tick, experts say. —Linda Carroll, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023

At some point on his ride, at least one black-legged tick burrowed into his skin. —Time, 28 July 2023

There are also some pockets of the disease in Northern California, spread there by the western black-legged tick. —Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 6 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

black-legged tick

noun

ˈblak-ˈlegd-, -ˈlāgd-; -ˈleg-əd-, -ˈlā-gəd- 

: either of two ixodid ticks:

a

: deer tick

b

: western black-legged tick