flea

IPA/fliː/
KK[flˈi]IPA/fliː/

flea — noun

  • fleasingular
  • fleasplural

1. a very small, wingless insect that lives on the skin of warm-blooded animals and

1.nounB1
Definition

a very small, wingless insect that lives on the skin of warm-blooded animals and birds, biting them and feeding on their blood; it can leap long distances compared to its size.

Example

After their camping trip, the Kwame family discovered the tent was full of fleas.

collocation: full of fleas

The vet showed Sofia how to apply the flea treatment behind her dog's ears.

collocation: flea treatment

Common collocations
  • flea collar
  • flea treatment
  • flea bite
  • flea infestation
  • flea market
  • flea spray
Synonyms
  • parasite

    broader term for any organism that lives on a host; fleas are one type of parasite

Usage Note

Flea commonly appears in compound nouns related to pets and household pests: 'flea collar' (a chemical collar that repels fleas), 'flea spray', and 'flea infestation'. The unrelated compound 'flea market' refers to an outdoor market selling used goods, not to insects.

Common Mistakes

The cat has flea.
The cat has fleas.
Flea is a countable noun; it nearly always appears in the plural when describing an infestation.
Idioms

with a flea in your ear

idiom

used to describe being angrily dismissed, shouted at, or rejected after trying to ask for something or make a complaint.

When Omar asked his landlord for a rent reduction, he was sent away with a flea in his ear.

Astrid complained about the noisy neighbours and got a flea in her ear for her trouble.

Word family

  • flea market
    nounB1
  • flea-bitten
    adjectiveB2
  • flea-infested
    adjectiveB2
  • flea collar
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Flea, tick, louse, and mite are all tiny parasitic arthropods that bite or feed on animals, but they differ in appearance and behaviour. Fleas are wingless insects that jump and move quickly through fur or feathers, biting to drink blood. Ticks are arachnids (eight-legged) that attach firmly to the skin and swell as they feed, sometimes carrying diseases like Lyme disease. Lice are also wingless insects but they spend their entire life cycle on a single host, often laying eggs (nits) attached to hair or feathers. Mites are even smaller arachnids, many too tiny to see clearly; some cause skin conditions like scabies. A pet owner might say: 'The dog has fleas — I saw them jumping in his fur' but 'The tick was buried in her ear and had to be removed with tweezers.'

flea ↗tick ↗louse ↗mite ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • flea collar
  • flea treatment
  • flea bite
  • flea infestation
  • flea market
  • flea spray

Phrases

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicEnglish

Flea traces back to Old English flēa (also spelled flēah), which comes from a Germanic root shared with Old High German flōh and Dutch vlo. The ancient Germanic word may be related to the idea of 'fleeing' — a fitting name for an insect famous for jumping away quickly before it can be caught.