Illustration of deer tick
deer tick
noun
: an ixodid tick (Ixodes scapularis synonym I. dammini) of the eastern U.S. and Canada that transmits the bacterium causing Lyme disease
called also black-legged tick
Examples of deer tick in a Sentence
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Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria carried by Ixodes scapularis, the black-legged tick, or deer tick.
—
Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
Amid last year’s government shutdown, Stewart missed his only opportunity in the year to collect ticks from deer at hunting stations — his best chance to see if deer ticks had become established in Montana.
—Rachana Pradhan, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are highly adjusted to surviving cold temperatures by producing a type of natural antifreeze to prevent their cells from rupturing, according to Moleai.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026
The larger wood ticks are easier to spot than the smaller deer ticks.
—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
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Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
Amid last year’s government shutdown, Stewart missed his only opportunity in the year to collect ticks from deer at hunting stations — his best chance to see if deer ticks had become established in Montana.
—Rachana Pradhan, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are highly adjusted to surviving cold temperatures by producing a type of natural antifreeze to prevent their cells from rupturing, according to Moleai.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026
The larger wood ticks are easier to spot than the smaller deer ticks.
—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deer tick
Cite this Entry
“Deer tick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deer%20tick. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
deer tick
noun
: a tick of the genus Ixodes (I. scapularis synonym I. dammini) that transmits the bacterium causing Lyme disease
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