noun
insect
IHN-sehkt
noun
1
A small six-legged creature with a hard outer shell, typically with wings, such as an ant, beetle, or fly.
"The garden was buzzing with insects on that warm afternoon."
"Bees are insects essential to pollinating crops."
2
(informal, derogatory) A person regarded as insignificant or contemptible.
"He treated the interns like insects, barely acknowledging them."
How to Use Insect
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small creature like a bee, ant, or beetle with six legs and a segmented body.
Common pairings
insect bite
insect repellent
insect species
Word Forms
insects plural
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Etymology
From Latin insectum, "cut into" — because an insect body appears divided into segments (head, thorax, abdomen). It is a loan translation of the Greek entomon, "insect," which means the same thing.