flea

== English == === Etymology 1 === 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”). ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ˈfliː/, [ˈflɪi̯] Rhymes: -iː Hyphenation: flea Homophone: flee ==== Noun ==== flea (plural fleas or (archaic or UK dialectal) fleen) A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities. (derogatory) A thing of no significance. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== See also ==== ==== Verb ==== flea (third-person singular simple present fleas, present participle fleaing, simple past and past participle fleaed or flead) (transitive) To remove fleas from (an animal). Synonym: deflea === Etymology 2 === Alternative forms. ==== Verb ==== flea (third-person singular simple present fleas, present participle fleaing, simple past and past participle flead) Obsolete spelling of flay. === Anagrams === Lafe, Leaf, alef, feal, leaf == Old English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /flæ͜ɑː/ Rhymes: -æ͜ɑː === Noun === flēa m alternative form of flēah