punky
1
9.9
A tiny insect that bites people and makes itchy spots
- noun
- /ˈpʌŋki/
- US
:
mosquito
- The punky biters swarmed around us near the lake, leaving itchy welts on our skin.
Examples
-
While hiking, we encountered a cloud of punky insects that seemed to thrive in the damp air.
-
He complained about the punky bugs biting him while he relaxed in the garden.
-
You look like Punky Brewster with hypothermia.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A very small insect that bites people and animals, often near water
is the same meaning but used as a variant form
1
9.9
A very small flying insect that makes itchy bites on people and animals
is the general term covering such tiny blood-feeding midges
9.9
A very small flying insect that bites animals and people
is the identical meaning but written as an alternate spelling
8.6
A very small flying insect that bites animals and people
is the common, nontechnical name rather than the scientific family term
How Annoying
Surface Forms
Etymology
Punky The word punky for a tiny biting insect comes from local speech where people called these small, annoying bugs punkies, and a helpful way to remember it is to think of them as little 'punks' — tiny pests that bite quickly.