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

Other Words from maggot Synonyms Example Sentences Phrases Containing maggot Learn More About maggot

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 Their dogs likely injured the gazelle’s hip and caused a fatal maggot infestation, Dejid says. — Robin Lloyd, Scientific American, 7 Apr. 2022 Tiffany was the most prestigious New York silver-maker, and a style-maker, too, until the 1960s, when the hippie mentality infected the yen for good living like a maggot. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, 2 Apr. 2022 Burly, heavy-jowled, his country-boy persona in full flight, Carson would pantomime tearing open the wrapper, savoring the creamy center and salted peanuts, his eyes then bulging in alarm at the sight of a maggot on one end. — Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2021 In South Wales, the Biosurgical Research Unit at Princess of Wales Hospital began selling larvae in 1995, followed shortly by German and Belgian maggot factories. — Marion Renault, The Atlantic, 2 June 2021 Police were initially skeptical of the claim, but authorities went on to find a year-and-a-half old tiger inside a small, waste and maggot-infested cage with no food or water. — Nicholas Reimann, Forbes, 10 May 2021 The dusty construction guy made common cause with the lawyer licking his paws and the bearded militiaman with a maggot in his brainstem. — James Parker, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2021 Gigler had to research how to remove Riptide's maggot infestation, which involved wrapping the dog's belly in plastic, pumping in an anesthetic gas to sedate the insects and them hosing them off with water. — Shannon Prather, Star Tribune, 20 Aug. 2020 Unscavenged carcasses bloated with gas before bursting open and revealing millions of writhing maggots inside. — Abby Jones, The Conversation, 10 Jan. 2020 See More

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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Dictionary Entries Near maggot

Maggiore, Lake

maggot

maggot-pated

Statistics for maggot

Last Updated

21 Apr 2022

Cite this Entry

“Maggot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maggot. Accessed 16 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for maggot

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