Meaning & use
mosquitoes
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“mosquitoes” is a form of “mosquito”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
Plural of mosquito: small flying insects, the females of which bite people and animals to feed on blood and can spread disease.
Grammar: Plural form; the singular is a mosquito.
Patterns
- swarms of mosquitoes
- bitten by mosquitoes
The mosquitoes were terrible near the lake last night.
Mosquitoes can carry diseases such as malaria and dengue.
We lit candles to keep the mosquitoes away.
Word forms
| singular | mosquito |
|---|
Common combinations
- swarm of mosquitoes
- A swarm of mosquitoes hovered over the pond.
- bitten by mosquitoes
- I got bitten by mosquitoes all over my legs.
- repel mosquitoes
- This spray is made to repel mosquitoes.
- mosquitoes breed
- Mosquitoes breed in standing water.
- mosquitoes carry
- In some regions mosquitoes carry serious diseases.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gnats
- Gnats are small flies that may swarm but most do not bite, so they are less irritating than mosquitoes.
- midges
- Midges are tiny biting flies, especially in Scotland, and are smaller than mosquitoes.
- bugs
- Bugs is a very general informal word, while mosquitoes names one specific insect.
Word family
- mosquito noun
- one such insect
- mosquito net noun
- a net hung over a bed to keep mosquitoes out
- mosquito bite noun
- a bite from a mosquito
- mosquito-borne adjective
- carried by mosquitoes, as in mosquito-borne disease
Commonly confused: mosquitoes or mosquitos?
mosquitoes vs mosquitos
Mosquitos is also an accepted plural, but mosquitoes is the more usual spelling, so use it when unsure.
Practice
Which is the usual plural spelling of mosquito?
Choose one answer.
Nouns ending in -o after a consonant often add -es, and mosquitoes is the standard spelling. The others are misspellings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mosquitoes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.