ENGLISH
REFERENCE

insect

n.
US //ˈɪnˌsɛkt// UK //ˈɪnsɛkt// in·sect
  1. 1 small six-legged animal (n.)
    A2 Elementary Science

    a small animal with six legs, three body parts, and usually wings.

    an arthropod of the class Insecta, characterized by a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body, and three pairs of jointed legs.

    Example

    An ant is a common insect that lives in large groups underground.

    Example

    The biologist identified several new species of insect during her expedition to the remote tropical rainforest.
  2. 2 insignificant person (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Vulgar

    a person you think is weak, annoying, or not important.

    a person viewed as contemptible, insignificant, or powerless. Often used as a pejorative to dehumanize the target.

    Example

    The cruel boss treated his workers like insects.

    Example

    In the villain's monologue, he dismissed his rivals as mere insects who were unworthy of his attention.

    Usage

    Usually used in a metaphorical sense to express extreme dislike or superiority.
Origin

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, 𐌕𐌏 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”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

Last updated June 20, 2026