mosquitos

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of mosquito.

   Stagnant water in the backyard attracted clouds of mosquitos by midsummer.

   Several species of mosquitos carry diseases across tropical regions.

   Note

   Two plurals compete for the insect: mosquitos and mosquitoes. Both are accepted, though mosquitoes remains the more frequent spelling in edited prose. The same plural serves the historical De Havilland Mosquito, where the capital stays: two Mosquitos flew low over the coast. This exact spelling also does duty as the verb's present form, so the sentence, not the letters, tells a swarm from a flight.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of mosquito.

   Note

   Behind it lies a verb built on the insect's way of moving: flying close to the ground, seemingly without a course. It takes no object and usually leans on a direction word, as in mosquitos around or mosquitos about the room. It extends easily to a person who hovers and darts without settling. A singular subject is what marks it apart from the insect plural.

Showing meanings only. Show all 2