English Explanatory Dictionary

flea

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities.
  2. A thing of no significance.
verb
  1. To remove fleas from (an animal).
verb
  1. Obsolete spelling of flay.

Pronunciation

/ˈfliː/ [ˈflɪi̯] en-us-flea.ogg

Word forms

flea fleas fleen fleaing fleaed flead

Etymology

From Middle English fle, from Old English flēah, flēa, from Proto-West Germanic *flauh, from Proto-Germanic *flauhaz (compare West Frisian flie, Low German Flo, Flö, Dutch vlo, German Floh, Icelandic fló), from pre-Germanic *plóukos, *plówkos, from or akin to Proto-Indo-European *plus- (compare Latin pulex, Sanskrit प्लुषि (plúṣi)). The archaic plural fleen is from Middle English fleen, flen, from Old English flēan (“fleas”).

Synonyms

deflea

Derived words

antiflea beach flea beflea chigoe flea deflea dog-flea model duck flea eight-spotted flea beetle fishhook flea fit as a flea flea allergy fleabag flea-bag fleabane flea beetle fleabite flea-bitten fleabitten flea bomb fleaborne fleabrain flea-brained flea circus flea collar flea comb flea flicker flea in one's ear flealike flea-louse flea market fleapit flea powder flea-powder fleaproof flea-ridden flea shampoo fleasome flea tree fleaweed fleawort hop flea house flea human flea leaf flea sand flea sandflea snow flea water flea
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