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Definition of "flea" []

  • Any of various small, wingless, bloodsucking insects of the order Siphonaptera that have legs adapted for jumping and are parasitic on warm-blooded animals. (noun)
  • Any of various small crustaceans that resemble or move like fleas, such as the water flea. (noun)
  • A flea in (one's) ear An annoying hint or a stinging rebuke. (idiom)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "flea" in a sentence
  • "They ridiculed them for pursuing what they called a flea circus."
  • "They occasionally escape from headquarters or get distracted by discarded e-brains they find in flea markets."
  • "Inside you'll find a scene he characterizes as a flea market, with individuals bidding on big cats for "canned hunts.""