maggot

noun

mag·​got ˈma-gət 

1

: a soft-bodied legless grub that is the larva of a dipterous insect (such as the housefly)

2

: a fantastic or eccentric idea : whim

maggoty

ˈma-gə-tē 

adjective

Synonyms

• bee
• caprice
• crank
• fancy
• freak
• humor
• kink
• megrim
• notion
• vagary
• vagrancy
• whim
• whimsy
• whimsey

Examples of maggot in a Sentence

The rotten meat was infested with maggots.

the last maggot he got in his head resulted in a disastrous extramarital affair

Recent Examples on the Web

The pairs had to hold hands inside a glass box as spiders, maggots and cockroaches were placed inside in order to win safety. —Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025

The family’s so poor now that Rebekka refuses even to bury dear old Otto, opting instead to let Agnes’s father rot in a dark backroom as flies and maggots gradually consume his carcass. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025

The bag had maggots inside and inside the suitcase police found the decomposing body of Johnson’s 7-year-old niece, Joshlyn Marie James Johnson, according to the news outlet. —Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2025

Pouring boiling water over maggots should kill them, according to home.howstuffworks.com. —Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English magot, probably alteration of mathek, maddok; akin to Middle Low German mēdeke maggot, Old Norse mathkr, Old English matha

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing maggot

• apple maggot

Rhymes for maggot

• agate
• fagot

Kids Definition

maggot

noun

mag·​got ˈmag-ət 

: a soft-bodied legless larva of a two-winged fly (as the housefly)

Medical Definition

maggot

noun

mag·​got ˈmag-ət 

: a soft-bodied legless grub that is the larva of a dipteran fly (as the housefly) and develops usually in decaying organic matter or as a parasite in plants or animals