flea

False colors scanning electron micrograph of a flea.

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 *plúsis (compare Latin pulex, Sanskrit प्लुषि (plúṣi)).

The archaic plural fleen is from Middle English fleen, flen, from Old English flēan (“fleas”).

• IPA^(key): /fliː/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iː

• Homophones: flee

flea (plural fleas or (archaic or UK dialectal) fleen)

1. A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities.
2. (derogatory) A thing of no significance.
   • 1871, Fitz Hugh Ludlow, The Heart of the Continent, page 414:

     The nation of beggars on horseback which first colonized California has left behind it many traditions unworthy of conservation, and multitudinous fleas not at all traditional, but even less keepworthy […]

flea (third-person singular simple present fleas, present participle fleaing, simple past and past participle fleaed)

1. (transitive) To remove fleas from (an animal).

   Synonym: deflea

   • 1861, Horace William Wheelwright, Bush Wanderings of a Naturalist, page 192:

     I have seen a Lubra, or native woman, suckling two puppies; and, like monkeys, these ladies have a particular fancy for fleaing their dogs.

Alternative forms.

flea (third-person singular simple present fleas, present participle fleaing, simple past and past participle flead)

1. Obsolete spelling of flay
   • 1605, Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, Everyman's Library, published 1991, page 36:

     […] he'd flea me alive like another St Bartholomew.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     In this Thwackum had the advantage; for while Square could only scarify the poor lad's reputation, he could flea his skin […]

• Lafe, Leaf, alef, feal, leaf