insect
noun /ˈɪnsekt/
/ˈɪnsekt/
- any small creature with six legs and a body divided into three parts. Insects usually also have wings. ants, bees and flies are all insects.
enlarge image- Most birds spend most of the day eating insects.
- There are about 30 million species of insects in the world.
- insect species
- insect repellent (= a chemical that keeps insects away)
- an insect bite
- The pesticide is lethal to all insect life.
- methods to ensure the plants are as free of disease and insect pests as possible
Collocations The living worldThe living worldAnimalssee also stick insect Insect is often used to refer to other small creatures, for example spiders, although this is not correct scientific language.- animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on something)
- fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)
- birds fly/migrate/nest/sing
- insects crawl/fly/bite/sting
- insects/bees/locusts swarm
- bees collect/gather nectar/pollen
- spiders spin/weave a web
- snakes/lizards shed their skins
- bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate
- insect larvae grow/develop/pupate
- an egg/a chick/a larva hatches
- attract/find/choose a mate
- produce/release eggs/sperm
- lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs
- inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast
- mark/enter/defend (a) territory
- stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey
- trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower
- a seed germinates/sprouts
- leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form
- flower buds swell/open
- a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes something
- pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant
- produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores
- produce/bear fruit
- develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves
- provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients
- perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis
- bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply
- bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on something
- bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize something/cause disease
- bacteria break something down/convert something (into something)
- a virus enters/invades something/the body
- a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)
- be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria
- contain/carry/harbour bacteria/a virus
- kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria
Extra ExamplesTopics Insects, worms, etc.a2- An insect was buzzing around the room.
- Gardeners welcome birds as they control insect pests.
- Insects had bored deep into the wood.
- Social insects, such as ants, live in large colonies.
- The wood should be treated against insect attack.
- Unfortunately, pesticides kill off beneficial insects as well as harmful ones.
- Wasps are the master builders of the insect world.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- flying
- winged
- aquatic
- …
- swarm
- repel
- control
- kill
- …
- buzz
- fly
- crawl
- …
- attack
- infestation
- bite
- …
Word Originearly 17th cent. (originally denoting any small cold-blooded creature with a segmented body): from Latin (animal) insectum ‘segmented (animal)’ (translating Greek zōion entomon), from insecare ‘cut up or into’, from in- ‘into’ + secare ‘to cut’.
