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wood tick
noun
: any of several ixodid ticks: such as
a
: a widely distributed tick (Dermacentor andersoni) of western North America that is a vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Examples of wood tick in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rocky Mountain spotted fever There are two main ticks responsible for spreading rocky mountain spotted fever: the Rocky Mountain wood tick and the American dog tick.
—Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2023
Cross says the American dog tick is very common out East while the Rocky Mountain wood tick is found in the West.
—Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2023
In Wisconsin, the two most common species of ticks are the American dog tick — sometimes called a wood tick — which are found statewide.
—Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 30 June 2021
The American dog tick, which is most prevalent east of the Rocky Mountains, is brown with grayish markings and sometimes called a wood tick.
—Washington Post, 24 May 2021
Deer ticks, dog ticks, and wood ticks can carry and transmit several types of diseases that affect both dogs and humans, from Lyme Disease to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
—The Editors, Field & Stream, 3 Mar. 2020
Lyric Bartholomay, professor in UW-Madison’s Departments of Comparative Biomedical Sciences and Entomology, said that Rocky Mountain spotted fever is transmitted by dog ticks, also called wood ticks, that have long been ubiquitous across the state.
—Anna Groves, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12 July 2018
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Word History
First Known Use
1668, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near wood tick
Cite this Entry
“Wood tick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wood%20tick. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Medical Definition
wood tick
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on wood tick
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wood tick
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