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
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Settlers who actually traveled to Florida to inspect their purchases were likely to be greeted by muddy parcels of worthless swampland overrun with snakes and mosquitoes, miles away from anything resembling civilization.
—
Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
Some flies, such as mosquitoes and biting midges, are not strong fliers, so this low-tech method keeps them out of your space when you’re seated on the patio, for example, says Gray.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2025
Survivors queue for food and water, and many sleep outside on mats at the mercy of mosquitos and the baking 100° F (37° C) heat as aftershocks continue to rattle the region.
—Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
Old tires left on a property can collect rainwater, creating the ideal environment for mosquitoes to breed.
—Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
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Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
Some flies, such as mosquitoes and biting midges, are not strong fliers, so this low-tech method keeps them out of your space when you’re seated on the patio, for example, says Gray.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2025
Survivors queue for food and water, and many sleep outside on mats at the mercy of mosquitos and the baking 100° F (37° C) heat as aftershocks continue to rattle the region.
—Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
Old tires left on a property can collect rainwater, creating the ideal environment for mosquitoes to breed.
—Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
Cite this Entry
“Mosquito.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosquito. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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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