Illustration of flea
: 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
Recent Examples on the Web
An outside cat is at a higher risk for exposure to parasites such as fleas, ticks, heartworms, and gastrointestinal worms.
—
Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
The stray dog had ticks, fleas, worms and open wounds.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
The floor and foundation were falling apart, inviting hordes of mice and fleas.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025
Similarly, ancient Egyptian medical texts give advice on how to cope with lice and fleas, which indicates people at the time found both to be a nuisance.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flea
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.
Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
The stray dog had ticks, fleas, worms and open wounds.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
The floor and foundation were falling apart, inviting hordes of mice and fleas.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025
Similarly, ancient Egyptian medical texts give advice on how to cope with lice and fleas, which indicates people at the time found both to be a nuisance.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flea
Cite this Entry
“Flea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flea. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flea
noun
: any of an order of small wingless bloodsucking insects with a hard body and legs used for leaping
Medical Definition
flea
noun
: 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share