Lexic.us

Definition of Insect

1. Noun. Small air-breathing arthropod.

Definition of Insect

1. n. One of the Insecta; esp., one of the Hexapoda. See Insecta.

2. a. Of or pertaining to an insect or insects.

Definition of Insect

1. Noun. An arthropod in the class ''Insecta'', characterized by six legs, up to four wings, and a chitinous exoskeleton. ¹

2. Noun. (colloquial) Any small arthropod similar to an insect including spiders, centipedes, millipedes, etc ¹

3. Noun. A contemptible or powerless person. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Insect

1. any of a class of small invertebrate animals [n -S]

Medical Definition of Insect

1. 1. One of the Insecta; especially, one of the Hexapoda. See Insecta. The hexapod insects pass through three stages during their growth, viz, the larva, pupa, and imago or adult, but in some of the orders the larva differs little from the imago, except in lacking wings, and the active pupa is very much like the larva, except in having rudiments of wings. In the higher orders, the larva is usually a grub, maggot, or caterpillar, totally unlike the adult, while the pupa is very different from both larva and imago and is inactive, taking no food. 2. Any air-breathing arthropod, as a spider or scorpion. 3. Any small crustacean. In a wider sense, the word is often loosely applied to various small invertebrates. 4. Any small, trivial, or contemptible person or thing. Insect powder,a powder used for the extermination of insects; especially, the powdered flowers of certain species of Pyrethrum, a genus now merged in Chrysanthemum. Synonym: Persian powder. Origin: F.insecte, L. Insectum, fr. Insectus, p.p. Of insecare to cut in. See Section. The name was originally given to certain small animals, whose bodies appear cut in, or almost divided. Cf. Entomology. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Insect

Literary usage of Insect

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The American Naturalist by American Society of Naturalists, Essex Institute (1894)
"The insect therefore does not develop under normal conditions, and an abnormality ... The insect must use what energy it has to build up its vital organs, ..."

2. International Catalogue of Scientific Literature by Royal Society (Great Britain) (1906)
"444 insect peste of cereals and Calcutta, Ind. Mus. ... insect pests of indigo. 445 insect pests of the sugarcane. Calcutta, Ind. Mus. ..."

3. Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature by H.W. Wilson Company (1908)
"How science fights the insect enemies of our crops. LE Van Norman. 11. ... Theory of .the parasitic control of insect pests. CW Woodworth. ..."

4. The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture: A Discussion for the Amateur, and by Liberty Hyde Bailey (1914)
"A single scale insect may lay thousands of eggs, while some plant-lice ... Remarkable instinct is often shown by the mother insect in placing her eggs where ..."

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