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
Recent Examples on the Web
Lyme disease is caused by the borrelia bacteria, which is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of a black-legged tick, also known as a deer tick.
—
Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
The most likely culprit is the black-legged tick — commonly known as deer ticks — which may bite humans any time of year that temperatures remain above freezing, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
—Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Sep. 2025
This disease is transmitted mainly by deer ticks.
—Dr. Andrew Bernstein, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Telford’s lab has tested more than 3,500 nymph deer ticks (in their second life stage) between 2021 and 2024, the release stated, finding that between 1% and 2% of nymph deer ticks on Martha’s Vineyard are infected.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025
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Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
The most likely culprit is the black-legged tick — commonly known as deer ticks — which may bite humans any time of year that temperatures remain above freezing, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
—Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Sep. 2025
This disease is transmitted mainly by deer ticks.
—Dr. Andrew Bernstein, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Telford’s lab has tested more than 3,500 nymph deer ticks (in their second life stage) between 2021 and 2024, the release stated, finding that between 1% and 2% of nymph deer ticks on Martha’s Vineyard are infected.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 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 21 Sep. 2025.
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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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