/ˈmɒsi/, U.S. /ˈmɔsi/, /ˈmɑsi/, 1900s– mozzie, 1900s– mozzy. mozzien.
/ˈmɒzi/, U.S. /ˈmɔzi/, /ˈmɑzi/, Australian English /ˈmɔzi//ˈmɒsi/, U.S. /ˈmɔsi/, /ˈmɑsi/, 1900s– mozzie, 1900s– mozzy. slang (originally and chiefly Australian).
A mosquito.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Diptera or flies > [noun] > suborder Nematocera > family Culicidae > member of (gnat or mosquito)
mosquito1572
moustique1666
mosquito fly1750
gnat1787
mosquito gnat1828
skeeter1839
vampire1864
culicid1907
mozzie1916
1916 Punch (Melbourne) 6 Apr. 516/1 You won't be eaten by mosquitoes outside if you get on the breezy side. The ‘mossies’ haven't gone out of the house yet.
1917 A. S. G. Lee Let. 12 June in No Parachute (1968) 59 My oil lamp..attracts mosquitoes. We also have moths, earwigs..and lots of other harmless guests, but these twin-Spandau mozzies can be spiteful.
1936 C. P. Conigrave N. Austral. 146 The net has not yet been made that will prevent some of the North Australian ‘mossies’ from finding a way into their human prey.
1954 R. S. Porteous in Coast to Coast 1953–4 117 Blast these mossies. There's more inside this net than out of it.
1971 B. W. Aldiss Soldier Erect 167 When we were off guard, we kipped on one of the station platforms outside the RTO office, under our mozzy-nets.
1985 Age (Melbourne) 20 Feb. 1/3 Scientist develops a soap that offends no one but the mozzie.
2008 R. Scott 20 Chickens for Saddle iii. 32 If any of the soft folds touched skin, the mozzies just bit you through the net.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2003; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1916