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in·sect 'in-.sekt n any arthropod of the class Insecta
insect adj
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n.
a member of a large group of mainly land-dwelling arthropod. The body of the adult is divided into a head, thorax, and abdomen. The head bears a single pair of sensory antennae; the thorax bears three pairs of legs and, in most insects, wings (these are absent in some parasitic groups, such as lice and fleas). Some insects are of medical importance. Various bloodsucking insects transmit tropical diseases, for example the female Anopheles mosquito transmits malaria and the tsetse fly transmits sleeping sickness. The bites of lice can cause intense irritation and, secondarily, bacterial infection. The organisms causing diarrhoea and dysentery can be conveyed to food on the bodies of flies. See also myiasis.
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in·sect (inґsekt) any individual of the class Insecta.Medical dictionary. 2011.