flea

noun

ˈflē

: any of an order (Siphonaptera) of small wingless bloodsucking insects that have a hard laterally compressed body and legs adapted to leaping and that feed on warm-blooded animals

Examples of flea in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Gamecocks could have pulled away earlier, but Sellers overthrew a wide-opener receiver on a flea flicker, his receivers dropped three passes and Malik Orsan missed a field goal. — ABC News, 10 Oct. 2026 Now, engineers at the University of Washington are building a new type of robot inspired by … the flea. — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026 The pandemic probably began with fleas that bit rodents in Africa, and the disease raced along trade routes, killing up to 100 million people. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 Finally, pneumonic plague occurs when the bacterium infects the lungs—typically through inhalation of infectious droplets rather than flea bites. — Claire Maldarelli, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flea

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fle, from Old English flēa; akin to Old High German flōh flea

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of flea was before the 12th century

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fl dr

flea

fleabag

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Flea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flea. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

flea

noun

ˈflē

: any of an order of small wingless bloodsucking insects with a hard body and legs used for leaping

Medical Definition

flea

noun

ˈflē

: any of the order Siphonaptera comprising wingless bloodsucking insects that have a hard laterally compressed body and legs adapted to leaping and that feed on warm-blooded animals see cat flea, chigoe sense 1, dog flea, rat flea, sand flea, sticktight flea

flea

noun

Illustration of flea

Examples of flea in a Sentence

Word History

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Kids Definition

Medical Definition

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flea

noun

Illustration of flea

Examples of flea in a Sentence

Word History

Phrases Containing flea

Rhymes for flea

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on flea

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fervid

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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