deer tick

noun

: an ixodid tick (Ixodes scapularis synonym I. dammini) of the eastern U.S. and Canada that transmits the bacterium causing Lyme disease

called also black-legged tick

Illustration of deer tick

Illustration of deer tick

Examples of deer tick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This disease is transmitted mainly by deer ticks. Dr. Andrew Bernstein, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025 Telford’s lab has tested more than 3,500 nymph deer ticks (in their second life stage) between 2021 and 2024, the release stated, finding that between 1% and 2% of nymph deer ticks on Martha’s Vineyard are infected. Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025 Here’s a breakdown: Not all ticks carry Lyme disease: Only deer ticks transmit Lyme disease and, even in high-risk areas, anywhere from fewer than 1 in 100 to more than half of the ticks are infected with it, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 3 Aug. 2025 Black-legged ticks, also called deer ticks, carry Lyme-causing bacteria. Itzel Luna, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deer tick

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deer tick was in 1982

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Cite this Entry

“Deer tick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deer%20tick. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

deer tick

noun
: a tick that transmits the bacterium causing Lyme disease

Medical Definition

deer tick

noun
: a tick of the genus Ixodes (I. scapularis synonym I. dammini) that transmits the bacterium causing Lyme disease
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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