flea 
flea (flē)
noun
- any of an order (Siphonaptera) of small, flattened, wingless insects with large legs adapted for jumping: as adults they are bloodsucking parasites on mammals and birds
- flea beetle
Etymology: ME fle < OE fleah, akin to Ger floh < same Gmc base as flee
flea in one's ear
a stinging rebuke or rebuff, or an annoying hint
flea
n.
Converse of object
- repel: Another example of this is how to repel fleas.
- kill: Maybe it will kill the fleas that showed up on the pet today.
- bite: Long term, it's a mangy, flea bitten, lousy dog.
- eliminate: Both these products are remarkable in their efficiency in eliminating fleas.
- treat: The Mining Company: Veterinary Medicine Details on everything from treating fleas to major diseases.
- receive: Thai and Bamboo have now received precautionary flea and mange treatment after they were seen scratching more than usual.
Adjective modifier
- infected: Plague infected fleas lured from mice were used to produce a bacterium that was injected in to prisoners.
- female: Female fleas lay up to 600 eggs in each lifetime!
Modifies a noun
- beetle: In autumn 2000 cabbage stem flea beetles were found in the Borders - posing a potentially serious new problem for growers in Scotland.
- infestation: A trained eye isn't usually needed to spot a heavy flea infestation.
- circus: The majority of fleas in the flea circus are, however, dead.
- comb: Brush your cat or dog thoroughly with a flea comb.
- saliva: In cats and dogs, flea saliva is the most common allergen - the substance causing the reaction.
- collar: Do not wear dog or cat flea collars on your ankles or cattle ear tags on your shoes to ward off harvest mite larvae.
Noun used with modifier
- hedgehog: There are many different types, for example cat flea, dog flea, hedgehog flea even a human flea!
- rabbit: The rabbit flea can live for nine months at temperatures around the freezing point without feeding.
- rat: The cloth was infested with the rat fleas now known to be responsible for the spread of the disease.
- cat: The head of the cat flea larva is shown on the left.
- adult: Adult fleas live from a few weeks to over a year.
- dog: There are many different types, for example cat flea, dog flea, hedgehog flea even a human flea!
Sir, there is no settling the point of precedency between a louse and a flea.
English literature's performing flea.
If I be evil intreated, or sent away with a flea in mine ear, let him look that Iwill rail onhimsoundly; nor foranhour or a day, whiles the injury is fresh in my memory; but in some elaborate polished poem, which I will leave to the world when I am dead, to be a living image to all ages of his beggarly parsimony and ignoble illiberality.
Mark but this flea, and mark in this How little that which thou deny'st me is; It sucked me first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.
So, naturalists observe, a flea Hath smaller fleas on him prey; And these have smaller fleas to bite 'em, And so proceed ad infinitum. Thus every poet, in his kind, Is bit by him that comes behind.
To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be who have tried it. 564
Browse dictionary entries near flea
- flea beetle ›
- flea-bitten ›
- flea circus ›
- flea-flicker ›
- flea market ›
- fleabag ›
- fleabane ›
- fleabite ›
- fleahopper ›
- fleam ›
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