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
Examples of mosquito in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lemons have natural acids that make the peels an effective repellent for mosquitoes, ticks, and other pests while also attracting pollinators.
—
Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 14 Mar. 2026
To see if a mammal would pick up the vaccine from the mosquito, his team conducted some of their experiments on mice and other rodents.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
Researchers tracked when and how mosquitoes, which lived in little pools of water in the rainforests, made their approach while trying to bite humans.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
The humidity wraps around us like a wet cloak pierced only by the relentlessness of the mosquitoes.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 14 Mar. 2026
To see if a mammal would pick up the vaccine from the mosquito, his team conducted some of their experiments on mice and other rodents.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
Researchers tracked when and how mosquitoes, which lived in little pools of water in the rainforests, made their approach while trying to bite humans.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
The humidity wraps around us like a wet cloak pierced only by the relentlessness of the mosquitoes.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
Cite this Entry
“Mosquito.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosquito. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mosquito
noun
mos·qui·to
mə-ˈskēt-ō
plural mosquitoes also mosquitos
: any of numerous two-winged flies of which the females have a needlelike structure of the mouth region adapted to puncture the skin and suck the blood of animals
Etymology
from Spanish mosquito "mosquito," literally "little fly," from mosca "fly"
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
