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 small flowers provide an important source of nectar for butterflies, bees, and numerous other beneficial insects.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
Let stems of perennials stand over winter to support native insects and wildlife.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
Though the insect was first spotted in South Carolina back in 1985, it was not officially named.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
The bee attack in Guyana comes just months after 24 people were left injured when the flying insects suddenly attacked in the French town of Aurillac, local authorities in the south-central French Prefecture of Cantal confirmed to the Associated Press at the time.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insect
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Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
Let stems of perennials stand over winter to support native insects and wildlife.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
Though the insect was first spotted in South Carolina back in 1985, it was not officially named.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
The bee attack in Guyana comes just months after 24 people were left injured when the flying insects suddenly attacked in the French town of Aurillac, local authorities in the south-central French Prefecture of Cantal confirmed to the Associated Press at the time.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 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 29 Oct. 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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