German

Noun

Mücke f ‎(genitive Mücke, plural Mücken)

1. (specific sense) mosquito
2. (broader sense, biology) insect of the order Nematocera, that is a mosquito, crane fly, gnat, or midge
3. (regional, Austria, parts of southern Germany) fly

Usage notes

• A Mücke is most often understood to be a blood-sucking mosquito in northern and central Germany, though the broader sense of “Nematocera” is also found and is conventional in biological terminology. In Austrian standard German, and in southern German speech, the term may also include flies.

Declension

Synonyms

• (moquito): Gelse (Austria); Moskito; Schnake (south-western Germany; Switzerland); Stechmücke

Derived terms

• aus einer Mücke einen Elefanten machen
• Stechmücke