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

• 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

In news that seems straight out of a sci-fi movie, flesh-eating maggots are set to hatch in the lower U.S. soon. —Moná Thomas, People.com, 10 July 2025

The federal government is planning to breed millions of flies and dump them over Mexico and Texas via airplanes in an effort to combat a flesh-eating maggot. —Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2025

Unlike most maggots that tend to feed off of dead flesh, the screwworm larvae feed off the fresh flesh of the host and can cause serious and often deadly damage to the host. —Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 13 May 2025

The name refers to the way in which maggots screw themselves into the tissue of animals with their sharp mouth hooks, causing extensive damage and often leading to death. —Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 12 May 2025

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