Illustration of deer tick
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
Examples of deer tick in a Sentence
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Amid last year’s government shutdown, Stewart missed his only opportunity in the year to collect ticks from deer at hunting stations — his best chance to see if deer ticks had become established in Montana.
—
Rachana Pradhan, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are highly adjusted to surviving cold temperatures by producing a type of natural antifreeze to prevent their cells from rupturing, according to Moleai.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026
Bacteria, usually Borrelia burgdorferi, carried by black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks, causes Lyme disease.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
The larger wood ticks are easier to spot than the smaller deer ticks.
—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
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Rachana Pradhan, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are highly adjusted to surviving cold temperatures by producing a type of natural antifreeze to prevent their cells from rupturing, according to Moleai.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026
Bacteria, usually Borrelia burgdorferi, carried by black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks, causes Lyme disease.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
The larger wood ticks are easier to spot than the smaller deer ticks.
—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deer tick
Cite this Entry
“Deer tick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deer%20tick. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
deer tick
noun
: a tick of the genus Ixodes (I. scapularis synonym I. dammini) that transmits the bacterium causing Lyme disease
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