insect

noun

/ˈɪnsekt/

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any small creature with six legs and a body divided into three parts. Insects usually also have wings. ants, bees and flies are all insects.昆虫
- Most birds spend most of the day eating insects.大多数鸟类一天中大部分时间都在吃昆虫。
- There are about 30 million species of insects in the world.世界上大约有3000万种昆虫。
- insect species昆虫种类
- insect repellent (= a chemical that keeps insects away)驱虫剂
- an insect bite昆虫咬伤
- The pesticide is lethal to all insect life.这种杀虫剂可以杀死所有昆虫。
- methods to ensure the plants are as free of disease and insect pests as possible确保植物尽可能无病虫害的方法
Collocations The living world
The living world生物界Animals动物
- animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on something)动物交配／繁育／繁殖／以…为食
- fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)鱼／两栖动物游动／产卵
- birds fly/migrate/nest/sing鸟飞翔／迁徙／筑巢／啼叫
- insects crawl/fly/bite/sting昆虫爬／飞／咬／叮
- insects/bees/locusts swarm昆虫／蜜蜂／蝗虫成群地飞来飞去
- bees collect/gather nectar/pollen蜜蜂采蜜／花粉
- spiders spin/weave a web蜘蛛结网／织网
- snakes/lizards shed their skins蛇／蜥蜴蜕皮
- bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate熊／刺猬／青蛙冬眠
- insect larvae grow/develop/pupate昆虫的幼虫生长／发育／化蛹
- an egg/a chick/a larva hatches卵孵化；小鸡出壳；幼虫孵出
- attract/find/choose a mate吸引／找到／选择配偶
- produce/release eggs/sperm产卵；排卵；产生／释放精子
- lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs产卵；使卵受精；孵卵
- inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast栖居于森林／礁石／海岸
- mark/enter/defend (a) territory标出／进入／保卫领地
- stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey悄悄接近／猎杀／捕获／杀死猎物
Plants and fungi植物和真菌
- trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower树木／植物生长／开花
- a seed germinates/sprouts种子发芽
- leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form叶子／花蕾／根茎／幼苗长出来／长大／成形
- flower buds swell/open花蕾含苞欲放／绽放
- a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes something菌类生长／扩散／长满…
- pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant给花／植物授粉
- produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores长出／传播花粉／种子／孢子
- produce/bear fruit结果
- develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves长出根茎／嫩芽／叶子
- provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients提供／吸收／提取／释放营养物
- perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis进行／增加／减少光合作用
Bacteria and viruses细菌和病毒
- bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply细菌／微生物／病毒生长／扩散／繁殖
- bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on something细菌／微生物在…中存活／大量生长
- bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize something/cause disease细菌／微生物／病毒进化／长满…／引发疾病
- bacteria break something down/convert something (into something)细菌（将某物）分解／转化（成某物）
- a virus enters/invades something/the body病毒进入／侵入某物／身体
- a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)病毒变异／演化／（自我）复制
- be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria感染上／接触到一种新病毒／抗药性细菌
- contain/carry/harbour bacteria/a virus带有细菌／病毒
- kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria杀灭有害的／致命的细菌
see also stick insect Insect is often used to refer to other small creatures, for example spiders, although this is not correct scientific language.
Extra Examples
- An insect was buzzing around the room.一只昆虫在房间里嗡嗡地飞来飞去。
- Gardeners welcome birds as they control insect pests.园丁很欢迎鸟类，因为可以控制虫灾。
- Insects had bored deep into the wood.虫子在木头上钻了很深的洞。
- Social insects, such as ants, live in large colonies.蚂蚁之类的群居昆虫大量聚居在一起。
- The wood should be treated against insect attack.这块木头应该进行防虫处理。
- Unfortunately, pesticides kill off beneficial insects as well as harmful ones.不幸的是，杀虫剂不仅杀灭害虫还会杀死益虫。
- Wasps are the master builders of the insect world.黄蜂是昆虫界的建筑大师。
Topics Insects, worms, etc.a2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- flying
- winged
- aquatic
- …
… of insects
- swarm
verb + insect
- repel
- control
- kill
- …
insect + verb
- buzz
- fly
- crawl
- …
insect + noun
- attack
- infestation
- bite
- …
See full entry
Word Originearly 17th cent. (originally denoting any small cold-blooded creature with a segmented body): from Latin (animal) insectum ‘segmented (animal)’ (translating Greek zōion entomon), from insecare ‘cut up or into’, from in- ‘into’ + secare ‘to cut’.