insect

UK: /ˈɪnsɛkt/ US: /ˈɪnsɛkt/ ,(in′sekt)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•sect /ˈɪnsɛkt/   n. 

[countable]
1. Insects
   • a member of a class of animals that are small, air-breathing arthropods having a body divided into three parts and having two antennae, three pairs of legs, and usually two pairs of wings:
     insects such as beetles, ants, and flies.
   • any small arthropod, such as a spider, that looks somewhat like such an animal.
2. one who deserves hate or contempt;
   an unimportant person.

adj. [before a noun]

3. of, relating to, or used against insects:
   insect spray.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•sect  (in′sekt), n. 

1. Insects any animal of the class Insecta, comprising small, air-breathing arthropods having the body divided into three parts (head, thorax, and abdomen), and having three pairs of legs and usually two pairs of wings.
2. Insects any small arthropod, such as a spider, tick, or centipede, having a superficial, general similarity to the insects. Cf. arachnid.
3. a contemptible or unimportant person.

adj. 

4. of, pertaining to, like, or used for or against insects:
   an insect bite; insect powder.

• Latin insectum, noun, nominal use of neuter of insectus past participle of insecāre to incise, cut (compare segment); translation of Greek éntomon insect, literally, notched or incised one; see entomo-
• 1595–1605;

in•sec•ti•val  (in′sek tī′vəl), adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

insect / ˈɪnsɛkt/ noun

1. any small air-breathing arthropod of the class Insecta, having a body divided into head, thorax, and abdomen, three pairs of legs, and (in most species) two pairs of wings. Insects comprise about five sixths of all known animal species, with a total of over one million named species
2. (loosely) any similar invertebrate, such as a spider, tick, or centipede
3. a contemptible, loathsome, or insignificant person

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin insectum (animal that has been) cut into, insect, from insecāre, from in-² + secāre to cut; translation of Greek entomon insect

inˈsectean, inˈsectan, inˈsectile adjective

ˈinsect-ˌlike adjective