Illustration of insect
- 1 labial palpus
- 2 maxillary palpus
- 3 simple eye
- 4 antenna
- 5 compound eye
- 6 prothorax
- 7 tympanum
- 8 wing
- 9 ovipositor
- 10 spiracles
- 11 abdomen
- 12 metathorax
- 13 mesothorax
1
a
: any of a class (Insecta) of arthropods (such as bugs or bees) with well-defined head, thorax, and abdomen, only three pairs of legs, and typically one or two pairs of wings
b
: any of numerous small invertebrate animals (such as spiders or centipedes) that are more or less obviously segmented
—not used technically
2
: a trivial or contemptible person
insect
adjective
Did you know?
The bodies of insects have segments, or divisions, so they appear to have a series of notches cut into them. This led the Greek philosopher Aristotle to give insects the name entomon “a thing cut into.” Entomon comes from the prefix en- “in,” combined with the verb temnein “to cut.” Later, when the Romans wanted a word for this kind of creature, they did not simply borrow the Greek word. Instead they translated it with the Latin word insectum, from the verb insecare “to cut into.” Insectum was borrowed into English as insect.
Examples of insect in a Sentence
a swarm of flying insects
the magazine's editor in chief was notorious for treating staffers as insects, often not even bothering to learn their names
Recent Examples on the Web
Unfortunately, those charming heads of cabbage often end up full of holes from all sorts of insect pests.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 June 2025
Shade crop is like a row cover, but more pigmented and with an overall goal of protecting from heat damage rather than insect damage.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2025
Two restaurants were closed and insect activity was observed at three others in the latest round of Tarrant County health inspections, according to the inspection report.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2025
How to treat anaphylactic reactions Anaphylactic reactions most commonly occur in response to foods, insect stings, medications and latex, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for insect
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Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 June 2025
Shade crop is like a row cover, but more pigmented and with an overall goal of protecting from heat damage rather than insect damage.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2025
Two restaurants were closed and insect activity was observed at three others in the latest round of Tarrant County health inspections, according to the inspection report.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2025
How to treat anaphylactic reactions Anaphylactic reactions most commonly occur in response to foods, insect stings, medications and latex, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for insect
Cite this Entry
“Insect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insect. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
insect
noun
in·sect
ˈin-ˌsekt 
1
: any of numerous small invertebrate animals (as spiders or centipedes) that are more or less obviously made up of segments
—not used technically
2
: any of a class of arthropods (as butterflies, true bugs, two-winged flies, bees, and grasshoppers) with the body clearly divided into a head, thorax, and abdomen, with three pairs of jointed legs, and usually with one or two pairs of wings
Etymology
from Latin insectum "insect," derived from insecare "to cut into," from in- "in" and secare "to cut" — related to dissect, section
Word Origin
The bodies of insects have segments, or divisions. Thus they seem to have a series of notches cut into them. This appearance led the Greek philosopher Aristotle to give insects the name entomon "a thing cut into." Entomon comes from the prefix en- "in," combined with the verb temnein "to cut." Later, when the Romans wanted a word for this kind of creature, they did not simply borrow the Greek word. Instead they translated it into the Latin word insectum, from the verb insecare "to cut into." Insectum was borrowed into English as insect.
Medical Definition
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