any animal of the class Insecta, comprising small, air-breathing arthropods having the body divided into three parts (head, thorax, and abdomen), and having three pairs of legs and usually two pairs of wings.
any small arthropod, such as a spider, tick, or centipede, having a superficial, general similarity to the insects. Cf. arachnid.
a contemptible or unimportant person.
—adj.
of, pertaining to, like, or used for or against insects: an insect bite; insect powder.