maggot

[ mag-uht ]

noun

1. a soft-bodied, legless larva of certain flies.
2. Archaic. an odd fancy; whim.

maggot

/ ˈmæɡət /

noun

1. the soft limbless larva of dipterous insects, esp the housefly and blowfly, occurring in decaying organic matter
2. rare.
   a fancy or whim

Word History and Origins

Origin of maggot¹

1425–75; late Middle English magot, magat, unexplained variant of maddock, Middle English mathek < Old Norse mathkr; akin to Danish maddik maggot, Old English matha, mathu grub, maggot, Old High German mado maggot

Word History and Origins

Origin of maggot¹

C14: from earlier mathek; related to Old Norse mathkr worm, Old English matha, Old High German mado grub

Example Sentences

One of them, for example, is responsible for the pigmentation of the maggots' teeth, while another is responsible for the formation of the striped pattern on the fly's abdomen.

From Science Daily

Patient wounds routinely crawling with maggots because health care facilities have no access to soap, gauze, disinfectant and running water.

From Salon

The infestation cycle continues when the maggots emerge 10 days later, drop from the fruit and burrow two to three centimeters into the dirt to pupate.

From Los Angeles Times

Chicago Police and the FBI are investigating who contaminated a breakfast buffet served to delegates at the Democratic National Convention with maggots.

From Salon

“Occasionally the smell would hit but not very often. Obviously there's things like maggots which we all don't like to think of… but nothing ever felt horrifying or like a horror film.”

From BBC

Related Words

• grub
• worm