Skip to content

mosquito

mosquito

noun mohs-KEE-toh Rare
Animals & Nature Insects

Origin: Diminutive of Spanish mosca ('fly'), literally 'little fly'.

Usage Note

Mosquito is a Spanish word that English borrowed unchanged. In Spain mosquito refers specifically to the biting gnat/mosquito, whereas in some Latin American countries zancudo is the preferred term for the larger malaria-carrying species. The diminutive origin (mosca + -ito) is still transparent to Spanish speakers.

Examples

"El mosquito me picó en el brazo."

Natural Translation

The mosquito bit me on the arm.

Explore Spanish by topic