Flea
/fliː/
nounA2
Definition
A flea is a tiny insect without wings that lives on the skin or fur of animals like dogs and cats. Fleas bite animals and people to drink their blood, which can cause itching and discomfort.
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A small insect that bites animals and sometimes people
- •The dog was scratching a lot because it had fleas.
- •Fleas can make pets feel very uncomfortable.
- •We need to treat the house to get rid of fleas.
(Informal) A very small or unimportant thing
- •He said it was just a flea of a problem, nothing big.
- •The cost was a flea compared to the whole price.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "flea" like "bug," but much smaller and it jumps very well.
- ✓Picture a tiny, dark insect jumping quickly on a dog’s fur.
- ✓It’s the annoying feeling when your skin itches because of a small insect bite.
- ✓Sounds like "flee" → imagine the insect quickly jumping away to escape.
- ✓Think of cartoons where a dog scratches itself because of fleas.
- ✓NOT like "mosquito" (flies and buzzes), fleas do not fly but jump.
- ✓NOT like "tick" (attaches and stays long), fleas jump on and off quickly.
- ✓NOT like "ant" (walks slowly), fleas jump fast and are much smaller.
- ✓NOT like "fly" (has wings), fleas have no wings.
Try Other Words
- •Insect: a small animal with six legs (Use when you want a general word for small animals like fleas)
- •Parasite: an animal that lives on or in another animal and takes food from it (Use when emphasizing the flea lives on animals and harms them)
- •Mite: a very small insect-like animal (Use when talking about very tiny creatures, but different from fleas)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix, simple root word)
- •Etymology: From Old English "flēa," related to Dutch "vlieg" meaning fly
- •Historical development: Used for centuries to describe the small jumping insect that bites animals
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to talk about small biting insects on pets and animals
- •Interesting fact: Fleas can jump very far compared to their size, up to 100 times their own height
Reflect & Connect
•How do fleas affect animals and people differently?
•Why do you think fleas have developed the ability to jump so well?
Fill in the blanks
1.The dog was scratching because it had ___ that caused itchy bites.
2.Fleas are different from mosquitoes because they ___ instead of flying.
3.When pets have fleas, they often feel ___ and uncomfortable.
4.Fleas can live on animals and ___ their blood to survive.
5.The word "flea" sounds like "flee," which helps remember that fleas ___ quickly.
6.To get rid of fleas, people often use special ___ on their pets.
7.Unlike ticks, fleas jump on and off animals ___ staying attached for a long time.