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
The rate is one of the highest recorded in the month of July, more in line with numbers seen in late August, when mosquito populations wind down.
—
Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2025
Some mosquitoes have a small genetic change that seems to disrupt this journey.
—Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 July 2025
Locking people in cages, in a tent with inadequate air conditioning, surrounded by mosquitoes, alligators and a swamp, is truly inhumane.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 July 2025
This follows mosquitoes testing positive for the virus in the Tyler Park and Highlands neighborhoods earlier this month.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
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Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2025
Some mosquitoes have a small genetic change that seems to disrupt this journey.
—Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 July 2025
Locking people in cages, in a tent with inadequate air conditioning, surrounded by mosquitoes, alligators and a swamp, is truly inhumane.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 July 2025
This follows mosquitoes testing positive for the virus in the Tyler Park and Highlands neighborhoods earlier this month.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mosquito
Cite this Entry
“Mosquito.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosquito. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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
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