wood tick

noun

: any of several ixodid ticks: such as
a
: a widely distributed tick (Dermacentor andersoni) of western North America that is a vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Examples of wood tick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Most of them will likely be identified as Rocky Mountain wood ticks. Aaron Bolton, NPR, 20 Aug. 2025 Rocky Mountain wood ticks live in the Western United States. Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 9 July 2025 Its cousin, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, poses similar risks in high-elevation areas of the Rockies. Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2025 Cross says the American dog tick is very common out East while the Rocky Mountain wood tick is found in the West. Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2023 In Wisconsin, the two most common species of ticks are the American dog tick — sometimes called a wood tick — which are found statewide. Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 30 June 2021 The American dog tick, which is most prevalent east of the Rocky Mountains, is brown with grayish markings and sometimes called a wood tick. Washington Post, 24 May 2021 Deer ticks, dog ticks, and wood ticks can carry and transmit several types of diseases that affect both dogs and humans, from Lyme Disease to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The Editors, Field & Stream, 3 Mar. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wood tick was in 1668

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Cite this Entry

“Wood tick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wood%20tick. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

wood tick

noun
: any of several ixodid ticks: as

More from Merriam-Webster on wood tick

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