insect
Meaning
- An arthropod (in the Insecta class) characterized by six legs, up to four wings, and a chitinous exoskeleton.
- (colloquial) Any small arthropod similar to an insect, including spiders, centipedes, millipedes, etc.
- A contemptible or powerless person.
Synonyms
dirt ball
small animal
wood borer
living creature
young of an animal
creeping thing
small pathetic animal
riceworm
Frequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈɪnsɛkt/
Etymology
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 (“I cut into, I cut up”), from in- + secō (“I 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”).
Bookmark this
Improve your pronunciation
Start learning English with learnfeliz.
Practice speaking and memorizing "insect" and many other words and sentences in English.
Go to our English course page
Notes