- any of a large class (Insecta) of small arthropod animals, including beetles, bees, flies, wasps, and mosquitoes, characterized in the adult state by division of the body into head, thorax, and abdomen, by three pairs of legs on the thorax, and, usually, by two pairs of membranous wings
- popularly any small arthropod, usually wingless, including spiders, centipedes, pill bugs, and mites
- an unimportant or contemptible person
Origin of insect
from Classical Latin insectum (animale), literally , notched (animal), neuter of past participle of insecare, to cut into from in-, in + secare, to cut (see saw): from the segmented bodies: compare entomo-
