anopheles

[ uh-nof-uh-leez ]

noun

, plural a·noph·e·les.

1. any mosquito of the genus Anopheles, certain species of which are vectors of the parasite causing malaria in humans, distinguished from other mosquitoes by the absence of breathing tubes in the larvae and by the head-downward stance of the adult while resting or feeding.

anopheles

/ əˈnɒfɪˌliːz /

noun

1. any of various mosquitoes constituting the genus Anopheles, some species of which transmit the malaria parasite to man

Other Words From

• a·noph·e·line [uh, -, nof, -, uh, -lahyn, -lin], adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of anopheles¹

1895–1900; < New Latin < Greek anōphelḗs useless, hurtful, harmful, equivalent to an- an- ¹ + -ōpheles- variant stem of óphelos profit; earlier ( a ) n- (with vowel lengthening) + opheles-, written in Mycenaean Greek as nopere

Word History and Origins

Origin of anopheles¹

C19: via New Latin from Greek anōphelēs useless, from an- + ōphelein to help, from ophelos help

Example Sentences

It spreads to people through the bites of infected female mosquitoes called anopheles, which have also been found in Europe.

From BBC

Malaria is carried by dozens of species of Anopheles mosquitoes, also known as marsh or nail mosquitoes.

From Salon

Anopheles mosquitoes carry a parasite called Plasmodium — the single-cell genus that causes malaria in birds, reptiles, and mammals like humans.

From Salon

When the bite of an Anopheles mosquito introduces Plasmodium into the human bloodstream, the parasites travel to the liver, where they lurk undetectably and mature for a period ranging from weeks to a year.

From Salon

At 4,000 feet or more above sea level, where some 40 percent of the Papua New Guinean population lives, temperatures have historically been too cold for Anopheles mosquitoes to thrive year-round.

From Salon