insect

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
8
Words With Friends
10
Letters
6
Pronunciation
/ˈɪn.sɛkt/

Definition of insect

3 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. 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.”
    “Nonetheless, some insect prey take advantage of clutter by hiding in it. Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close (less than half a meter) above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them.”
See all 3 definitions

noun

  1. 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.”
    “Nonetheless, some insect prey take advantage of clutter by hiding in it. Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close (less than half a meter) above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them.”
  2. (archaic, broadly)Any small arthropod similar to an insect, including spiders, centipedes, millipedes, etc.
    “The swamp is swarming with every sort of insect.”
  3. (derogatory)A contemptible or powerless person.
    “The manager’s assistant was the worst sort of insect.”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

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…

See full 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”).

Anagrams of insect

4 plays · some not in Scrabble

Best play incest 8 points

Hooks

1 extension · 1 back

A single letter you can add to insect to make another valid word.

Find your best play with insect

See every word you can make from a set of letters that includes insect, or browse word lists you can mine for high-scoring plays.