brown dog tick

noun

: a widely distributed reddish-brown tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) that occurs chiefly on dogs and transmits several diseases (such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and canine babesiosis and ehrlichiosis)

Examples of brown dog tick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While several types of ticks can spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever in different parts of the country, the brown dog tick is responsible for the illness in the southwestern U.S. and in Mexico and is found there year-round. —Erika Edwards, NBC News, 8 Dec. 2023

Available in 2-ounce and 4-ounce spray bottles, this repellent advertises up to four hours of protection from deer ticks and up to eight hours for lone star ticks and brown dog ticks. —Steven Rowe, Health, 28 Aug. 2023

The less-common brown dog tick has also caused several cases along the US-Mexico border. —Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2023

Pritt, with the Mayo Clinic, said Rocky Mountain spotted fever is spread primarily through the American dog tick, as well as the brown dog tick, which are both found in Kentucky. —The Washington Post, The Mercury News, 4 June 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

brown dog tick

noun

: a widely distributed reddish-brown tick of the genus Rhipicephalus (R. sanguineus) that occurs chiefly on dogs and transmits several diseases (as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and canine babesiosis and ehrlichiosis)