black-legged tick

6.1

A small tick found in eastern North America that bites people and can give them Lyme disease

noun
/blækˈlɛɡɪd tɪk/

: garrapata de patas negras

Black-legged ticks are a common concern for hikers in wooded areas, as they can transmit Lyme disease through bites.

Examples

(K7292-5) Inset: Black-legged ticks collected during a tick sweep can carry the pathogen that causes Lyme disease.

Academic text (1996)
In the summer months, it is important to check for black-legged ticks after spending time outdoors to avoid Lyme disease.
If you find a black-legged tick attached to your skin, it is crucial to remove it promptly to reduce the risk of infection.

Synonyms

deer tick

vsblack-legged tick

Specialized

1 6.0

A small blood-sucking bug that bites animals and people and can carry Lyme disease

is the general common name used across eastern North America

Ixodes scapularis

vsblack-legged tick

Specialized

9.8

A small black tick that bites animals and people and can spread Lyme disease

is the common everyday name for that same species

Surface Forms

black-legged tick singular

black-legged ticks plural

Morphology

black-legged + tick

The term is a descriptive compound: 'black-legged' (having black legs) + 'tick' (a small parasitic arachnid), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it means a tick with black legs. This simple compositional pattern is common across languages, making the phrase transparent even if the learner may not know species-specific details like Lyme disease transmission.

Etymology

Black-legged tick — The name comes from a simple picture: the tiny tick has dark legs, so black + legged describe how it looks. That's why the term now means the small tick people check for because it can spread 'Lyme disease'.