Illustration of mosquito
mosquito
noun
mos·qui·to
mə-ˈskē-(ˌ)tō 
plural mosquitoes also mosquitos
: any of a family (Culicidae) of dipteran flies with females that have a set of slender organs in the proboscis adapted to puncture the skin of animals and to suck their blood and that are in some cases vectors of serious diseases
Examples of mosquito in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
June and September offer fewer crowds but with June comes the worst month for black flies and mosquitoes.
—
Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 7 June 2026
Citizen concerns over chemical exposure have temporarily clipped the wings of Munster’s mosquito-spraying regimen.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
In the memory of mosquito bites that turned her skin red during childhood trips back to Honduras.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Debug’s request to use Wolbachia against a particular species of mosquito called Aedes aegypti — responsible for spreading diseases like dengue, yellow fever, and the Zika virus — is currently pending approval from the EPA, and is open to public comment until June 5.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 4 June 2026
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Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 7 June 2026
Citizen concerns over chemical exposure have temporarily clipped the wings of Munster’s mosquito-spraying regimen.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
In the memory of mosquito bites that turned her skin red during childhood trips back to Honduras.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Debug’s request to use Wolbachia against a particular species of mosquito called Aedes aegypti — responsible for spreading diseases like dengue, yellow fever, and the Zika virus — is currently pending approval from the EPA, and is open to public comment until June 5.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
Cite this Entry
“Mosquito.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosquito. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mosquito
noun
mos·qui·to
mə-ˈskēt-ō
plural mosquitoes also mosquitos
: any of numerous two-winged flies of which the females have a needlelike structure of the mouth region adapted to puncture the skin and suck the blood of animals
Etymology
from Spanish mosquito "mosquito," literally "little fly," from mosca "fly"
Medical Definition
mosquito
noun
mos·qui·to
mə-ˈskēt-(ˌ)ō, -ə(-w)
plural mosquitoes also mosquitos
: any of numerous dipteran flies of the family Culicidae that have a rather narrow abdomen, usually a long slender rigid proboscis, and narrow wings with a fringe of scales on the margin and usually on each side of the wing veins, that have in the male broad feathery antennae and mouthparts not fitted for piercing and in the female slender antennae and a set of needlelike organs in the proboscis with which they puncture the skin of animals to suck the blood, that lay their eggs on the surface of stagnant water, that include many species which pass through several generations in the course of a year and hibernate as adults or winter in the egg state, and that include some species which are the only vectors of certain diseases see aedes, anopheles, culex
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