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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Unseasonably hot temperatures in January in between rainstorms accelerated the life cycle of mosquitoes in the region and led to an increase in mosquito activity, Kluh said.
—
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
The organization that monitors mosquitoes in the Twin Cities says the area saw the highest number of West Nile virus cases on record last year.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
In large cage experiments simulating natural populations, the gene drive spread to nearly 100% of mosquitoes and caused complete population collapse within 7 to 11 generations.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 27 Feb. 2026
There was the swanky, five-star European city hotel inundated with mosquitos, despite the front desk’s assurances otherwise.
—Jake Emen, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
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Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
The organization that monitors mosquitoes in the Twin Cities says the area saw the highest number of West Nile virus cases on record last year.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
In large cage experiments simulating natural populations, the gene drive spread to nearly 100% of mosquitoes and caused complete population collapse within 7 to 11 generations.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 27 Feb. 2026
There was the swanky, five-star European city hotel inundated with mosquitos, despite the front desk’s assurances otherwise.
—Jake Emen, Robb Report, 26 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 2 Mar. 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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