maggot

noun

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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 Authorities didn’t find his body until July 13, after it had purportedly been partially eaten by vultures and maggots. — Theo Wayt, NBC News, "Actor Charles Levin's decomposed body found partially eaten by vultures," 9 Nov. 2019 Her wounds were so bad they were infected and had maggots in them, according to BARC representatives. — Rebecca Hennes, Houston Chronicle, "Pets of the Week: Meet Matilda, the badly burned pup, and others at BARC Animal Shelter," 20 Nov. 2019 In 2015, after 30 inmates fell ill and after 19 months of complaints about maggot and rat contamination, Michigan terminated its contract with Aramark. — Hannah Beckler, The New Republic, "“It’s a Prison”," 14 Oct. 2019 Go ahead, bite the Big Apple—don’t mind the maggots. — Tom Gliatto, PEOPLE.com, "Joker Review: Joaquin Phoenix Isn't Clowning Around as the Terrifying Batman Villain," 2 Oct. 2019 Pelosi tells me with relish, referring to Jared Kushner’s Baltimore apartment complexes, some of which are infested with mice and maggots. — Jason Bell; Fashion Editor: Miguel Enamorado, Harper's BAZAAR, "Nancy Pelosi Is Praying for Trump," 23 Sep. 2019 Some fishermen have found success by down-sized their offerings, catching perch on small jigs or flies tipped with maggots and waxworms and targeting fish suspended 15 to 20 feet off the lake bottom. — D'arcy Egan, cleveland, "Lake Erie walleye hitting; yellow perch are hit-and-miss: Fishing Report for Sept. 20," 20 Sep. 2019 The larvae — teensy maggot-like organisms with an orange hue — were being set aside in the same petri dish. — Alicia Petska, Washington Post, "Roanoke College professor researches tiny flying larvae," 13 Sep. 2019 Barton wasn't happy and ended up calling Hamann an 'idiot', a 'maggot' and a 'dog', claiming that Hamann was only looking for publicity. — SI.com, "7 of the Biggest Footballer Twitter Feuds Ever," 8 Sep. 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

7 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Maggot.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maggot. Accessed 15 December 2019.

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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

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