Illustration of insect
- 1 labial palpus
- 2 maxillary palpus
- 3 simple eye
- 4 antenna
- 5 compound eye
- 6 prothorax
- 7 tympanum
- 8 wing
- 9 ovipositor
- 10 spiracles
- 11 abdomen
- 12 metathorax
- 13 mesothorax
1
a
: any of a class (Insecta) of arthropods (such as bugs or bees) with well-defined head, thorax, and abdomen, only three pairs of legs, and typically one or two pairs of wings
b
: any of numerous small invertebrate animals (such as spiders or centipedes) that are more or less obviously segmented
—not used technically
2
: a trivial or contemptible person
insect
adjective
Did you know?
The bodies of insects have segments, or divisions, so they appear to have a series of notches cut into them. This led the Greek philosopher Aristotle to give insects the name entomon “a thing cut into.” Entomon comes from the prefix en- “in,” combined with the verb temnein “to cut.” Later, when the Romans wanted a word for this kind of creature, they did not simply borrow the Greek word. Instead they translated it with the Latin word insectum, from the verb insecare “to cut into.” Insectum was borrowed into English as insect.
Examples of insect in a Sentence
a swarm of flying insects
the magazine's editor in chief was notorious for treating staffers as insects, often not even bothering to learn their names
Recent Examples on the Web
The line, according to the brand, is inspired by nature and the packaging takes on wood textures, plants, insects and bold natural hues.
—
Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2025
Cucumbers are relatively easy to grow but can be plagued by a variety of insect and disease pests.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2025
Many of its natural prey, like mice and insects, are gray or black.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
The order, issued last week, declared an emergency on some 113 million acres of national forest land, citing wildfire risk or damage by insects and diseases, and called for an increase in timber production on those lands to reduce wildfire risk.
—Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insect
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Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2025
Cucumbers are relatively easy to grow but can be plagued by a variety of insect and disease pests.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2025
Many of its natural prey, like mice and insects, are gray or black.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
The order, issued last week, declared an emergency on some 113 million acres of national forest land, citing wildfire risk or damage by insects and diseases, and called for an increase in timber production on those lands to reduce wildfire risk.
—Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insect
Cite this Entry
“Insect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insect. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
insect
noun
in·sect
ˈin-ˌsekt 
1
: any of numerous small invertebrate animals (as spiders or centipedes) that are more or less obviously made up of segments
—not used technically
2
: any of a class of arthropods (as butterflies, true bugs, two-winged flies, bees, and grasshoppers) with the body clearly divided into a head, thorax, and abdomen, with three pairs of jointed legs, and usually with one or two pairs of wings
Etymology
from Latin insectum "insect," derived from insecare "to cut into," from in- "in" and secare "to cut" — related to dissect, section
Word Origin
The bodies of insects have segments, or divisions. Thus they seem to have a series of notches cut into them. This appearance led the Greek philosopher Aristotle to give insects the name entomon "a thing cut into." Entomon comes from the prefix en- "in," combined with the verb temnein "to cut." Later, when the Romans wanted a word for this kind of creature, they did not simply borrow the Greek word. Instead they translated it into the Latin word insectum, from the verb insecare "to cut into." Insectum was borrowed into English as insect.
Medical Definition
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