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insect

noun
/ˈɪn.sɛkt/

Etymology

From Middle French insecte, from Latin īnsectum, from īnsectus (“cut into, cut up, with a notched or divided body”), from perfect passive participle of īnsecō (“to cut into, to cut up”), from in- + secō (“to cut”), from the notion that the insect's body is "cut into" three sections (head, thorax, abdomen). Calque of Ancient Greek ἔντομον (éntomon, “insect”), from ἔντομος (éntomos, “cut into pieces”).

  1. calqued from ἔντομον
  2. derived from īnsectum
  3. borrowed from insecte

Definitions

  1. An arthropod (in the Insecta class) characterized by six legs, up to four wings, and a…

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

    • Our shed has several insect infestions, including ants, yellowjackets, and wasps.

  2. Any small arthropod similar to an insect, including spiders, centipedes, millipedes, etc.

    • The swamp is swarming with every sort of insect.

  3. A contemptible or powerless person.

    • The manager’s assistant was the worst sort of insect.

The neighborhood

Derived

angel insect, antiinsect, beneficial insect, coral insect, deinsectization, disinsect, fig insect, ghost insect, insectageddon, insectan, insectarium, insectdom, insected, insect hotel, insect house, insecticidal, insecticide, insectiferous, insectiform, insectile, insectivore, insectivorous, insectkind, insectless, insectlike, insectoid, insectology, insectophobe, insectophobia, insectotoxin, insect powder, insectproof, insect repellent, insect screen, insect wax, insecty, lac insect, leaf insect, Lord Howe Island stick insect, microinsect · +7 more

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at insect. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01insect02six03seven04eight05digit06representing07representation08demographic09demography10insects

A definitional loop anchored at insect. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

10 hops · closes at insect

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA