flea

noun

ˈflē 

: any of an order (Siphonaptera) of small wingless bloodsucking insects that have a hard laterally compressed body and legs adapted to leaping and that feed on warm-blooded animals

Illustration of flea

Phrases

flea in one's ear

: rebuke

sent him away with a flea in his ear

Examples of flea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Plague circulates in rodents in Colorado, and occasionally jumps to pets or humans through flea bites or direct contact with sick or dead animals. —Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 7 Aug. 2025

Cats and other animals can contract the plague through eating rodents or through the bite of fleas. —Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 18 July 2025

Plague is caused by the bacterium Y. pestis and is really a disease of rodents and their fleas. —Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 15 July 2025

The bacteria is transmitted through the bites of infected fleas that can spread it between rodents, pets and humans. —CBS News, 12 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fle, from Old English flēa; akin to Old High German flōh flea

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing flea

• beach flea
• fit as a flea
• flea beetle
• flea-bitten
• flea collar
• flea-flicker
• flea market
• jigger flea
• sand flea
• water flea

Rhymes for flea

• be
• bee
• bree
• cree
• fee
• flee
• free
• gee
• ghee
• glee
• he
• ki

Kids Definition

flea

noun

ˈflē 

: any of an order of small wingless bloodsucking insects with a hard body and legs used for leaping

Medical Definition

flea

noun

ˈflē 

: any of the order Siphonaptera comprising wingless bloodsucking insects that have a hard laterally compressed body and legs adapted to leaping and that feed on warm-blooded animals see cat flea, chigoe sense 1, dog flea, rat flea, sand flea, sticktight flea