ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mosquitoes

n. countable
A2 Elementary US //məˈskitoʊz// UK //məskˈiːtəʊz// mos·qui·toes

n. small flying insects that bite people and animals to drink their blood. Their bites usually leave a red, itchy bump on your skin.

n. small, slender-bodied dipterous insects of the family Culicidae, the females of which possess a proboscis for sucking blood. Often associated with the transmission of diseases such as malaria and dengue.


SIMPLE

The mosquitoes are very active near the lake at sunset.

CONTEXTUAL

We had to wear long sleeves and use repellent to keep the mosquitoes away during our camping trip.

COMPLEX

While most species are merely a nuisance, certain mosquitoes act as primary vectors for serious tropical diseases, making them a significant focus of global public health initiatives.

Synonyms
Usage

The plural is usually spelled with 'es', though 'mosquitos' is an accepted secondary spelling.

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