maggot

noun

mag·got | \ ˈma-gət

Definition of maggot

1 : a soft-bodied legless grub that is the larva of a dipterous insect (such as the housefly)

2 : a fantastic or eccentric idea : whim

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Examples of maggot in a Sentence

The rotten meat was infested with maggots. the last maggot he got in his head resulted in a disastrous extramarital affair

Recent Examples on the Web

The state attorney general later issued Skyline facilities more than $200,000 in civil fines for neglect, preventable falls, failure to bathe residents and maggots in a resident's personal medical equipment. — NBC News, "A nursing home chain grows too fast and collapses, and elderly and disabled residents pay the price," 19 July 2019 The problems included reports of maggots, mold, and mice invasions. — BostonGlobe.com, "Trump says Jewish people who vote for Democrats show ‘great disloyalty’ or ‘lack of knowledge’," 21 Aug. 2019 The three-millimeter-long maggot bends at its middle, latches its upper body to its rear end and dilates its lower half to increase the tension on that latch. — Scientific American, "Ballistic Maggots, Synthetic Winks and Why You’re Not Goop: This Week’s Best Science GIFs," 9 Aug. 2019 Another patient was found with maggots near a surgical wound. — Maritza Dominguez, azcentral, "Gaggle podcast: What the Hacienda HealthCare scandal tells us about AZ care facilities," 14 Aug. 2019 The patient was taken to a hospital after the fly larvae were spotted, Hacienda told KPNX-TV, which first reported the maggots. — Fox News, "Maggots found under bandage at site of Phoenix patient rape," 15 June 2019 Several days later, a brood of maggots — each no bigger than a speck of pepper — hatches. — Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post, "Maggots: A taste of food’s future," 3 July 2019 The embattled facility has had two-high profile cases of patient safety problems — a 29-year-old incapacitated female who was raped and gave birth and, more recently, an infestation of maggots that was discovered on a 28-year-old male patient. — Stephanie Innes, azcentral, "Hacienda HealthCare to lose Medicaid contract after report of maggots found on patient," 20 June 2019 On State Street throngs crowd and push, Wriggle and writhe like maggots. — George Will, Twin Cities, "George Will: Last century’s immigration debate makes today’s seem enlightened," 30 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'maggot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

14 Sep 2019

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Time Traveler for maggot

The first known use of maggot was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for maggot

maggot

noun

English Language Learners Definition of maggot

: an insect that looks like a small worm and that is a young form of a fly

See the full definition for maggot in the English Language Learners Dictionary

maggot

noun

mag·got | \ ˈma-gət

Kids Definition of maggot

: a legless grub that is the larva of a fly (as a housefly)

maggot

noun

mag·got | \ ˈmag-ət

Medical Definition of maggot

: a soft-bodied legless grub that is the larva of a dipteran fly (as the housefly) and develops usually in decaying organic matter or as a parasite in plants or animals