chigger

1. A chigoe (Tunga penetrans), a kind of flea found in tropical climates.
2. A harvest mite (Trombiculidae spp.), a very small, red mite endemic to the Midwestern and Southeastern US, the infestation of which causes intense itching.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈt͡ʃɪɡɚ/

Etymology

From chigoe, likely from a Cariban language term such as Kari'na siko (“chigoe”) (early recorded variant chico), from Proto-Cariban *tikô.

Synonyms

jigger

chigoe flea

sand flea

chigoe

harvest mite

Tunga penetrans

flea

redbug

skin burrowing animal

bush mite

tick

trombidiid

tsutsugamushi

beach buggy

chigger mite

Mower’s mite

trombicula