insect
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insect
- /ˈɪn.sɛkt/
Rhymes with -ɪnsɛkt
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Middle French insecte, from Latin īnsectum, from īnsectus (“cut into, cut up, with a notched or divided body”), from perfect passive participle of īnsecō (“to cut into, to cut up”), from in- + secō (“to cut”), from the notion that the insect's body is "cut into" three sections (head, thorax, abdomen). Calque of Ancient Greek ἔντομον (éntomon, “insect”), from ἔντομος (éntomos, “cut into pieces”).
noun insects
- An arthropod (in the Insecta class) characterized by six legs, up to four wings, and a chitinous exoskeleton. Our shed has several insect infestations, including ants, yellowjackets, and wasps.
- Any small, creeping, crawling, or slithering animal, excluding mammals, birds, and fish. Ambroſe Parey has a picture of the ſalamander, with a receipt for her bite; but there is no ſuch creature, the name being now given to a poor harmleſs inſect.
- An arthropod or invertebrate. The learned zoologiſt of our country concludes his labours in this ſcience by the preſent publication, which contains only cruſtaceous inſects, viz. crabs and lobſters, worms and ſhells.
- A contemptible or powerless person. The manager’s assistant was the worst sort of insect.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: louse, worm, dirt ball, bug, entomology, mosquito, beetle, cockroach, arthropod, hexapod, infestation, pest, biochem, photoperiodism, physiol, repellants
Translations
Every language
noun colloquial: any small arthropod
| Español | bicho |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 벌레 beolle |
| 日本語 | 虫 mushi |
| Português | bichinho, inseto |
| Русский | бука́шка bukáška, козя́вка kozjávka |
noun arthropod of class Insecta
| Español | insecto |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 곤충 gonchung |
| 日本語 | 昆虫 konchū |
| 中文 | 昆蟲 /昆虫 kūnchóng, 蟲子 /虫子 chóngzi, 蟲 /虫 chóng |
| हिन्दी | कीड़ा kīṛā, कीट kīṭ, पोका pokā |
| Kiswahili | mdudu |
| Português | inseto |
| Français | insecte |
| Deutsch | Insekt, Kerbtier, Kerf |
| Italiano | insetto |
| Ελληνικά | έντομο éntomo |
| Română | insectă |
| Русский | насеко́мое nasekómoje, бука́шка bukáška, козя́вка kozjávka |
| Tiếng Việt | sâu bọ, côn trùng |
| العربية | حَشَرَة ḥašara |
| עברית | חֶרֶק khérek |
Talk about this word "insect." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/insect. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. insect. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/insect "insect." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/insect.Cite this
@misc{insect_2026,
title = {insect},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/insect},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
