Dictionary

flea en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈfliː/
• (US) audio
• [ˈflɪi̯]

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”).

Meanings

1. A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities.
2. (derogatory) A thing of no significance.
   • The nation of beggars on horseback which first colonized California has left behind it many traditions unworthy of conservation, and multitudinous fleas not at all traditional, but even less keepworthy […] 1871, Fitz Hugh Ludlow, The Heart of the Continent, page 414:

Forms

Deriveds

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

Translations (213)

ta செள்ளு (parasitic insect) · grc ψύλλη (parasitic insect) · nl vlo (parasitic insect) · chr ᏧᎦ (parasitic insect) · tt борча (parasitic insect) · av чӏетӏ (parasitic insect) · izh kerppu (parasitic insect) · egy p-i-i-F27 (parasitic insect) · ht pis (parasitic insect) · dsb pcha (parasitic insect) · tew shuwa (parasitic insect) · lmo puresa (parasitic insect) · ml ചെള്ള് (parasitic insect) · bbl ფსიკ (parasitic insect) · lv blusa (parasitic insect) · tab чӏуд (parasitic insect) · mg parasy (parasitic insect) · pl pchła (parasitic insect) · ja ノミ (parasitic insect) · bo ལྗི་བ (parasitic insect) · az birə (parasitic insect) · orv блъха (parasitic insect) · rm pelesch (parasitic insect) · inh сагал (parasitic insect) · pox blåxă (parasitic insect) · fur pulč (parasitic insect) · ang flēah (parasitic insect) · hy լու (parasitic insect) · km អំបាត (parasitic insect) · cy chwain (parasitic insect) · wym fłuch (parasitic insect) · sh bùha (parasitic insect) · vec pùłega (parasitic insect) · crh bürçe (parasitic insect) · sa प्लुषि (parasitic insect) · orv блоха (parasitic insect) · bdk кӏид (parasitic insect) · dsb bcha (parasitic insect) · af vlooi (parasitic insect) · ryu 蚤 (parasitic insect) · de Flohweibchen (parasitic insect) · duu svli (parasitic insect) · rup puric (parasitic insect) · rm pelisch (parasitic insect) · rm pülesch (parasitic insect) · an pulz (parasitic insect) · lt blusa (parasitic insect) · tr pire (parasitic insect) · th หมัด (parasitic insect) · es pulga (parasitic insect) · ru блоха́ (parasitic insect) · la pūlex (parasitic insect) · hu bolha (parasitic insect) · ab аӡ (parasitic insect) · mn нохой бөөс (parasitic insect) · fo loppa (parasitic insect) · sc puighi (parasitic insect) · cho kʋshti (parasitic insect) · lb Flou (parasitic insect) · sl bólha (parasitic insect) · lez чӏут (parasitic insect) · cmn 虼蚤 (parasitic insect) · hi पिस्सू (parasitic insect) · km ចៃ (parasitic insect) · vec pulxo (parasitic insect) · mnc ᠰᡠᡵᠠᠨ (parasitic insect) · orv бълоха (parasitic insect) · km ដង្កែ (parasitic insect) · ast pulga (parasitic insect) · vec polxe (parasitic insect) · sv loppa (parasitic insect) · cdm य्हुङः (parasitic insect) · tg кайк (parasitic insect) · cs blecha (parasitic insect) · dng гызо (parasitic insect) · scn pùlici (parasitic insect) · sh бу̀ва (parasitic insect) · zlw-slv pchla (parasitic insect) · el ψύλλος (parasitic insect) · sh bùva (parasitic insect) · rm pilesch (parasitic insect) · rif šurdu (parasitic insect) · de Floh (parasitic insect) · lmo pules (parasitic insect) · vec pùlega (parasitic insect) · sva ზჷსყ (parasitic insect) · eu arkakuso (parasitic insect) · gld сора (parasitic insect) · zza kekı (diq) (parasitic insect) · nci tecpin (parasitic insect) · gl pulga (parasitic insect) · dng гәзо (parasitic insect) · qu piki (parasitic insect) · kmr kêç (parasitic insect) · uk блоха́ (parasitic insect) · nap pollece (parasitic insect) · vo flib (parasitic insect) · it pulce (parasitic insect) · be блыха́ (parasitic insect) · ro purice (parasitic insect) · wyi moon-ong (parasitic insect) · chr ᏣᏑᎦ (parasitic insect) · fi kirppu (parasitic insect) · gd deargad (parasitic insect) · sk blcha (parasitic insect) · dlm pulco (parasitic insect) · ami 'atimela (parasitic insect) · syc ܦܘܪܬܥܢܐ (parasitic insect) · grc ψύλλος (parasitic insect) · ilo timel (parasitic insect) · ki kĩroboto (parasitic insect) · eo pulo (parasitic insect) · ta தெள்கு (parasitic insect) · arz برغوت (parasitic insect) · vo jiflib (parasitic insect) · hsb pcha (parasitic insect) · fr puce (parasitic insect) · he פַּרְעוֹשׁ (parasitic insect) · pt pulga (parasitic insect) · ce сагал (parasitic insect) · so booddo (parasitic insect) · ki thuya (parasitic insect) · id pinjal (parasitic insect) · mn бүүрэг (parasitic insect) · bcl purgas (parasitic insect) · lmo pures (parasitic insect) · sah былахы (parasitic insect) · tly kek (parasitic insect) · cmn 跳蚤 (parasitic insect) · wo fel wi (parasitic insect) · ky бүргө (parasitic insect) · xnb ʼatiimua (parasitic insect) · ka რწყილი (parasitic insect) · nan-hbl 虼蚤 (parasitic insect) · nb loppe (parasitic insect) · fj kutu (parasitic insect) · ota كیك (parasitic insect) · lzz მწკირი (parasitic insect) · sc pulighe (parasitic insect) · scn purci (parasitic insect) · fur pulç (parasitic insect) · pdt Hupsflieej (parasitic insect) · ms pinjal (parasitic insect) · bn উপমক্ষিকা (parasitic insect) · ca puça (parasitic insect) · rgn pólṣa (parasitic insect) · sc puliche (parasitic insect) · sco flae (parasitic insect) · za maet (parasitic insect) · ee dosu (parasitic insect) · ta தெள்ளு (parasitic insect) · uz burga (parasitic insect) · sw kiroboto (parasitic insect) · de Flohmännchen (parasitic insect) · ota پیره (parasitic insect) · haw ʻuku (parasitic insect) · yag šinuš (parasitic insect) · ksw ကျံ (parasitic insect) · yi פֿלוי (parasitic insect) · tk büre (parasitic insect) · ia pulice (parasitic insect) · ami 'atimla^ (parasitic insect) · ko 벼룩 (parasitic insect) · oj babig (parasitic insect) · lo ໝັດ (parasitic insect) · sq plesht (parasitic insect) · ar بُرْغُوث (parasitic insect) · tl hanip (parasitic insect) · vi bọ chét (parasitic insect) · fa کیک (parasitic insect) · sc pulige (parasitic insect) · sc pulixi (parasitic insect) · xmf წყირი (parasitic insect) · mk болва (parasitic insect) · et kirp (parasitic insect) · non fló (parasitic insect) · ps ورږه (parasitic insect) · tl pulgas (parasitic insect) · ur پسو (parasitic insect) · nn loppe (parasitic insect) · ga dreancaid (parasitic insect) · sh бу̀ха (parasitic insect) · vo hiflib (parasitic insect) · cst pó̄r (parasitic insect) · oc piuse (parasitic insect) · vec pùlexe (parasitic insect) · vec pulç (parasitic insect) · my လှေး (parasitic insect) · gv jargan (parasitic insect) · kk бүрге (parasitic insect) · da loppe (parasitic insect) · ug بۈرگە (parasitic insect) · twf phìayána (parasitic insect) · my အလှေး (parasitic insect) · esu keggerpak (parasitic insect) · si බලුමැක්කා (parasitic insect) · rm pülsch (parasitic insect) · ba бөрсә (parasitic insect) · sdh کەیک (parasitic insect) · bg бълха́ (parasitic insect) · hsb tcha (parasitic insect) · cmn 蚤 (parasitic insect) · mt bergħud (parasitic insect) · nv yaaʼ (parasitic insect) · scn puci (parasitic insect) · ja 蚤 (parasitic insect) · gd deargann (parasitic insect) · is fló (parasitic insect) · ckb كێچ (parasitic insect) · fa کک (parasitic insect) · mfe pis (parasitic insect) · om tafkii (parasitic insect) · vec pùłexe (parasitic insect)

wikidata: Q388162

flea en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈfliː/
• (US) audio
• [ˈflɪi̯]

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”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To remove fleas from (an animal).
   • I have seen a Lubra, or native woman, suckling two puppies; and, like monkeys, these ladies have a particular fancy for fleaing their dogs. 1861, Horace William Wheelwright, Bush Wanderings of a Naturalist, page 192:

Forms

Synonyms

deflea

flea en · VERB · etymology 2

Etymology

Alternative forms.

Meanings

1. (alt-of, obsolete) Obsolete spelling of flay.
   alt of flay
   • […] he'd flea me alive like another St Bartholomew. 1605, Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, Everyman's Library, published 1991, page 36:
   • In this Thwackum had the advantage; for while Square could only scarify the poor lad's reputation, he could flea his skin […] 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

Forms