chigoe

IPA/ˈtʃɪɡ.ər/
IPA/-ɚ/

chigoe — noun

  • chigoesingular
  • chigoesplural

1. a very small tropical flea that digs into the skin of animals and people, where

1.名詞C2
釋義

a very small tropical flea that digs into the skin of animals and people, where the female lives and lays eggs, often causing a painful swelling around the entry point.

例句

Takeshi got a chigoe bite on his foot after walking barefoot on a Brazilian beach.

collocation: chigoe bite + barefoot on [beach]

The farmer found a swelling on his ankle from a chigoe burrowing under the skin.

同義詞
  • sand flea

    more general term; can refer to any small flea found on beaches, not only Tunga penetrans

  • jigger

    regional name used in Africa and the Caribbean for the same insect

文法句型

chigoe + verb (singular / plural)

用法筆記

Only the female chigoe burrows into the skin — the male does not. The feet and toes are the most common sites of infestation, especially in sandy or dusty ground.

常見錯誤

I got chigger bites on my foot in the sand.' (when meaning the burrowing flea)
I got chigoe bites on my foot in the sand.
💡'Chigger' refers to a mite that causes itchy bumps on the legs, not a flea that burrows into the skin.

2. a very tiny creature related to spiders that clings to the skin of animals and p

2.名詞C2
釋義

a very tiny creature related to spiders that clings to the skin of animals and people in grassy areas and feeds on skin cells, leaving small red marks that feel very itchy.

例句

Andrés got red bumps on his legs after sitting in tall grass — chigoe bites.

collocation: chigoe bites from sitting in [location]

Lakshmi scratched the red marks on her arms caused by chigoe mites in the grass.

同義詞
  • chigger

    the standard American English name for the same mite

  • harvest mite

    less common name for the larval stage of certain trombiculid mites

文法句型

chigoe + verb (singular / plural)

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1, a chigoe mite does not burrow into the skin — it attaches to the surface and injects saliva that causes the itching and redness. Often called chigger in American English.

常見錯誤

A chigoe burrowed into my toenail and caused a rash.' (confusing the flea with the mite)
A chigoe mite attached to my leg and left itchy red bumps.
💡The flea (sense 1) burrows; the mite (sense 2) stays on the skin surface.