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
The bed itself is luxurious, with comfy sheets and mosquito netting, and offers the chance to sleep under the open sky, close to nocturnal sounds of the bush, like whooping hyenas and roaring leopards.
—
Megan Eaves, Outside, 20 Feb. 2026
Extra points go to this docile, non-venomous spider that eats mosquitoes, gnats and flies.
—Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Their strong scent repels certain bugs like flies and mosquitos—even wasps—on top of the repellent qualities of rosemary.
—Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 16 Feb. 2026
Still others believe the treatment facility will create nuisance odors or affect air quality, or that treated effluent discharged into the dry creek that feeds into Village Creek will stagnate, attracting mosquitoes.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
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Megan Eaves, Outside, 20 Feb. 2026
Extra points go to this docile, non-venomous spider that eats mosquitoes, gnats and flies.
—Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Their strong scent repels certain bugs like flies and mosquitos—even wasps—on top of the repellent qualities of rosemary.
—Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 16 Feb. 2026
Still others believe the treatment facility will create nuisance odors or affect air quality, or that treated effluent discharged into the dry creek that feeds into Village Creek will stagnate, attracting mosquitoes.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 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 27 Feb. 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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