mosquito English · revision 1662

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mɒˈskiː.təʊ/ ''(UK)''; /məsˈki.toʊ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|es|mosquito|t=little fly, gnat]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) a diminutive of ''mosca'' “fly”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|la|musca|t=fly]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) The AHD also gives Portuguese as a source.^(AHD) It is related to [[musket]] and [[midge]].^(AHD)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A gnat of which the female sucks blood (about 1583).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The meaning has stayed the same since the word was borrowed.^(OED 1989)^(AHD) Compounds followed, such as ''mosquito-hawk'', a dragonfly that preys on mosquitoes (1737), and ''mosquito net'' (1745).^(Etymonline) From the insect's small size the name was given to light, fast boats and aircraft, as in ''mosquito craft'' (1804)^(OED 1989) and the British Mosquito fighter-bomber of the Second World War.^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * about 1583 – the insect.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1737 – ''mosquito-hawk'', a dragonfly.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1745 – ''mosquito net''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1804 – ''mosquito craft'', small fast vessels.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Any of various two-winged [[insect|alt=insects]] whose females have a long [[proboscis]] for sucking blood; some carry diseases such as [[malaria]] and [[yellow fever]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mosquitoey]]

+ * [[mosquito net]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[skeeter]]

+ * [[musket]]

+ * [[midge]]

+ * [[gnat]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The AHD notes that ''mosquito'' and ''musket'' both go back to Latin ''musca'' “fly”: Italian ''moschetta'', literally “little fly”, meant a crossbow bolt, because bolt and insect both fly, buzz and sting.^(AHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}