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
mosquitoey
mə-ˈskē-tə-wē
adjective 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The virus is most commonly spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
Devi Shastri, Journal Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022 West Nile virus is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Julie Washington, cleveland, 2 Sep. 2022 About 1 in 5 people will develop high fever, confusion, muscle weakness and a severe headache three to five days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 17 Aug. 2022 The West Nile virus is most commonly spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the US Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention. Chris Boyette, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022 Last year Massachusetts reported 11 human cases of the virus, which is usually transmitted to people through an infected mosquito’s bite, the Department of Public Health said in a statement. Jeremy C. Fox, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2022 Nothing gets a female mosquito going quite like the stench of human BO. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2022 An infected person, meanwhile, can spread the virus to a healthy mosquito. Sarah Sloat, NBC News, 1 July 2022 Settled on the mesh just above my right eye is a mosquito. Francine Prose, Harper’s Magazine , 22 June 2022 See More
Devi Shastri, Journal Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022 West Nile virus is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Julie Washington, cleveland, 2 Sep. 2022 About 1 in 5 people will develop high fever, confusion, muscle weakness and a severe headache three to five days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 17 Aug. 2022 The West Nile virus is most commonly spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the US Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention. Chris Boyette, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022 Last year Massachusetts reported 11 human cases of the virus, which is usually transmitted to people through an infected mosquito’s bite, the Department of Public Health said in a statement. Jeremy C. Fox, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2022 Nothing gets a female mosquito going quite like the stench of human BO. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2022 An infected person, meanwhile, can spread the virus to a healthy mosquito. Sarah Sloat, NBC News, 1 July 2022 Settled on the mesh just above my right eye is a mosquito. Francine Prose, Harper’s Magazine , 22 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Spanish, diminutive of mosca fly, from Latin musca — more at midge
First Known Use
1572, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing mosquito
Kids Definition
mosquito
noun
mos·qui·to mə-ˈskē-tō
plural mosquitoes
: a small fly the female of which punctures the skin of people and animals to suck their blood
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