maggot

noun

mag·​got ˈma-gət 

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

maggoty

ˈma-gə-tē 

adjective

Synonyms of maggot

• whim
• bee

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 kitchen of the restaurant is crawling with maggots, the damp eats away at the tatami mats and wallpaper decorated with a design of a forest landscape. —Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026

Adult pepper maggot flies lay their eggs on the developing fruits, which are damaged by maggot feeding once the eggs hatch. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2026

Symptoms include seeing or feeling maggots move within a skin wound or sore, or in the ears, nose, eyes or mouth. —Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026

Basil tends to repel flies and maggots, and marigolds do as well. —Haniya Rae, Martha Stewart, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English magot, probably alteration of mathek, maddok; akin to Middle Low German mēdeke maggot, Old Norse mathkr, Old English matha

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing maggot

• apple maggot

Rhymes for maggot

• agate
• fagot

Kids Definition

maggot

noun

mag·​got ˈmag-ət 

: a soft-bodied legless larva of a two-winged fly (as the housefly)

Medical Definition

maggot

noun

mag·​got ˈmag-ət 

: 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