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

Then the eggs hatch into larvae, also known as maggots, that feed on the dead body, adding still more digestive enzymes. —Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 1 Aug. 2025

These creatures included a spider, a snail, dog, bull, maggot, cockroach, two kinds of snake (a viper and a grass snake), and ants. —Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025

Infection had set in, as had maggots, and the vet briefly wondered if the best thing to do was to humanely euthanize the bird. —Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 26 July 2025

Armed with a pair of blue tweezers and an aerosol spray that helps draw the maggots out, Chávez moves from animal to animal. —Isabel Mateos, Fortune, 25 July 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