Mosquito: Meaning, Pronunciation, and Examples

Meaning 1：mosquito (Mosquito)

Mosquito 🔊

/məˈskiːtoʊ/

A small flying insect. Female mosquitoes bite people and animals to drink blood, which causes itchy bumps.

mosquito 🔊

➕

/məˈskiːtoʊ/

A small flying insect that feeds on blood, causing itchy bites and potentially transmitting diseases.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Spanish 'mosquito' meaning 'little fly', from Latin 'musca' (fly).

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'mos' (moss) + 'quito' (quick to) → mosquito bites quickly.

📖 Example

We put up a mosquito net before sleeping in the tent to keep the bugs out. 🔊 We put up a mosquito net before sleeping in the tent to keep the bugs out.

🔗 Collocations

mosquito net – a net used to keep mosquitoes away

mosquito bite – a small, itchy bump caused by a mosquito

mosquito repellent – a substance that prevents mosquitoes from biting

🔄 Synonyms

skeeter (n.) – informal term for a mosquito

gnat (n.) – a small flying insect, sometimes similar to a mosquito

📖 Cultural Story

Originated in Spanish as 'mosquito' (little fly), used in English since 16th century. Female mosquitoes are vectors for diseases like malaria.