Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of numerous slender two-winged insects of the family Culicidae, having aquatic larvae and in the adult female a long proboscis, used in most species for sucking blood. Some species of mosquitoes transmit the pathogens that cause certain diseases, notably malaria, yellow fever, and dengue.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One of many different kinds of gnats or midges the female of which bites animals and draws blood.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.) Any one of various species of gnats of the genus Culex and allied genera. The females have a proboscis containing, within the sheathlike labium, six fine, sharp, needlelike organs with which they puncture the skin of man and animals to suck the blood. These bites, when numerous, cause, in many persons, considerable irritation and swelling, with some pain. The larvæ and pupæ, called wigglers, are aquatic.
  • noun a net or curtain for excluding mosquitoes, -- used for beds and windows.
  • noun a fleet of small vessels.
  • noun (Zoöl.) a dragon fly; -- so called because it captures and feeds upon mosquitoes.
  • noun a loosely-woven gauzelike fabric for making mosquito bars.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A small flying insect of the family Culicidae, known for biting and sucking blood, leaving an itching bump on the skin. However, only the female of the species bites animals and humans. They are known to carry diseases like malaria and yellow fever.
  • verb To fly close to the ground, seemingly without a course.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun two-winged insect whose female has a long proboscis to pierce the skin and suck the blood of humans and animals

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Spanish and Portuguese, from diminutive of mosca, fly, from Latin musca.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Spanish mosquito ("small fly"), from mosca ("fly"), + diminutive suffix -ito, from Latin musca

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Examples

  • _The mosquito leaving the pupa skin_] _The malaria mosquito_ is domestic like the chicken and lives around in houses hiding in the grass, bushes or dark corners and comes out to bite at night.

    Manual of Military Training Second, Revised Edition 1906

  • (No mosquito bites for him)] _The yellow fever mosquito_ is domestic like the house cat.

    Manual of Military Training Second, Revised Edition 1906

  • Additional insect-related research rewarded this year was that of Bart Knols and Ruurd de Jong of the Netherlands, who won the Biology prize for showing that the female malaria mosquito is attracted equally to the smells of limburger cheese and human feet.

    The 2006 Ig Nobel Prizes Edward Willett 2006

  • Additional insect-related research rewarded this year was that of Bart Knols and Ruurd de Jong of the Netherlands, who won the Biology prize for showing that the female malaria mosquito is attracted equally to the smells of limburger cheese and human feet.

    Archive 2006-11-05 Edward Willett 2006

  • _Mosquito_ is the Spanish diminutive name of a fly: but what we call a mosquito, the Spaniards in Central America call by another name, _sanchujo_.

    Notes and Queries, Number 27, May 4, 1850 Various

  • So judge of our surprise when this wonderful London cousin of ours first produced a large jar of what he called mosquito cream, and proceeded to smear his face and hands with the odorous compound.

    Our Home in the Silver West A Story of Struggle and Adventure Gordon Stables 1875

  • A similarity between his name, as they pronounced it, and the English word "mosquito," -- or, as they called it

    Schwatka's Search 1869

  • For instance, shipping in mosquito netting instead of helping the people make their own.

    Are celebrity do-gooders really doing good? « Dating Jesus 2009

  • Not just any old rock star, but one who used to cross dress, and rhymes the word mosquito with libido in his most famous song.

    Cobain's Journals: The Writer Behind The Rock Star 2010

  • Not just any old rock star, but one who used to cross dress, and rhymes the word mosquito with libido in his most famous song.

    Cobain's Journals: The Writer Behind The Rock Star 2010

Comments

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  • Daffynition: an insect that actually makes you like flies...better.

    January 6, 2007

  • "No me moleste, mosquito, just let me eat my burrito!" --The Doors

    August 21, 2007

  • An inhabitant of Moscow?

    November 15, 2010

  • "My friends, lend me your ears. I have a story to tell you about Mr. Mosquito.... Beware of Cousin Mosquito and his solo."

    November 15, 2010