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Glite Dictionary
punkie

punkie

1 9.9
A very small insect that bites people and animals, often near water
  • noun
  • /ˈpʌŋki/
  • US
translation icon : mosquito

Examples

  • I just wish I hadn't felt so punkie about four days in; that lasted almost until the day I left.

    Blog text (7)

  • Punkie is 4!

    Blog text (32)

  • Now, Punkie, I gotta go to Wells Fargo and finalize an Export Letter of Credit because I have a job.

    Blog text (28)

  • Some call them punkies, or mayflies, or black flies, or no-see-ums, but in our part of the county they're known as shadflies.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • During the summer, we had to use repellent to keep the punkie bites from irritating our skin.

  • While hiking in the woods, we noticed several punkies buzzing around us, eager to feed.

  • The punkie is often mistaken for a mosquito due to its size and biting behavior.

Synonyms

punky
vspunkie
  • US
1 9.9

A tiny insect that bites people and makes itchy spots

is the fuller description listing feeding habits and alternate names
no-see-um
vspunkie
  • US
1 9.9

A very small flying insect that makes itchy bites on people and animals

is the general definition adding occasional feeding on other insects
punkey
vspunkie
  • US
9.9

A very small flying insect that bites animals and people

is the broader description that ties the insect to common names
biting midge
vspunkie
  • Specialized
8.6

A very small flying insect that bites animals and people

is the common descriptive account rather than the technical family label

How Annoying

mosquito
70 1.0
punkie
  • US
1 9.9
fly
327 1.0

Surface Forms

punkie singular
punkies plural

Etymology

The word punkie names a very small biting insect, like the 'no-see-um' that bites people near lakes and marshes. The name probably comes from a short local word for little, annoying bugs, and you can see the part punk in the middle. A helpful way to remember punkie is to think of a quick, sharp punk bite from a tiny fly.