Insect
/ˈɪnˌsɛkt/
nounA2
Definition
An insect is a type of small animal that has six legs, a body divided into three parts (head, thorax, and abdomen), and often has wings. Insects are very common and live in many places like gardens, forests, and homes. They are different from other animals because of their body structure and number of legs.
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See It in Action
A small animal with six legs and three body parts
- •The insect crawled on the leaf.
- •We saw many insects flying near the flowers.
- •Ants are insects that live in big groups.
Sometimes used to mean any small creepy creature (less scientific)
- •She is afraid of insects like spiders and cockroaches.
- •The house had a problem with insects during summer.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "insect" like "bug," but more specific—an insect always has six legs and three body parts, while not all bugs do
- ✓Picture a small ant walking on the ground with its tiny legs and antennae moving
- ✓It’s like the feeling of seeing a butterfly flying gently in a garden, small and light
- ✓Sounds like "IN-sekt" → imagine an "in" door where tiny creatures come in and out all day
- ✓Think of famous insects like bees that make honey or ladybugs that are red with black dots
- ✓NOT like "spider" (which has eight legs and is not an insect)
- ✓NOT like "worm" (which has no legs and a soft body)
- ✓NOT like "bird" or "mammal" (which are much bigger and have very different body parts)
Try Other Words
- •Bug: small creepy animal (use in casual talk when you don’t need to be exact)
- •Creature: any living small animal (use when talking about all small living things, not just insects)
- •Arthropod: animals with jointed legs, including insects and spiders (use in scientific contexts)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: none (simple root word)
- •Etymology: from Latin "insectum," meaning "cut into," because insects' bodies look like they are divided into parts
- •Historical development: The word has been used since the 1600s to describe small six-legged animals
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in biology and everyday language to talk about small six-legged animals like ants, bees, and flies
Reflect & Connect
•How do insects help the environment around you in your daily life?
•Can you think of any insects that have special roles or meanings in different cultures?
Fill in the blanks
1.An insect usually has ___ legs and a body divided into ___ parts.
2.Bees and butterflies are ___ that can fly and help plants grow.
3.Unlike spiders, insects have ___ legs, not eight.
4.When you see an insect on a flower, it is often ___ for food or to help the plant.
5.People sometimes say "bug" when they see an ___, but "insect" is more ___.
6.Insects live in many places like gardens, forests, and even ___.
7.Some insects, like ants, live in ___ with many others working together.