flea

noun

: any of an order (Siphonaptera) of small wingless bloodsucking insects that have a hard laterally compressed body and legs adapted to leaping and that feed on warm-blooded animals

Illustration of flea

Illustration of flea
Phrases
flea in one's ear
: rebuke
sent him away with a flea in his ear

Examples of flea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mills said found cats can also have ringworm, fleas and a host of contagions other than bird flu. Jia H. Jung, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2025 Others, like fleas, use energy stored in internal structures that are rapidly released to trigger a leap. Ajay Narendra, JSTOR Daily, 6 Mar. 2025 Removing the debris now removes the hiding spots and egg populations for pests like aphids, flea beetles, cabbage worms, squash bugs, spider mites, thrips and many others. Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2025 Like us, ancient people wanted fleas out of their homes, lice off their bodies, and weevils out of their grain supplies. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flea

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fle, from Old English flēa; akin to Old High German flōh flea

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flea was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flea. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

flea

noun
: any of an order of small wingless bloodsucking insects with a hard body and legs used for leaping

Medical Definition

flea

noun
: any of the order Siphonaptera comprising wingless bloodsucking insects that have a hard laterally compressed body and legs adapted to leaping and that feed on warm-blooded animals see cat flea, chigoe sense 1, dog flea, rat flea, sand flea, sticktight flea

More from Merriam-Webster on flea

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