■ noun an arthropod animal of a large class (Insecta) having a head, thorax, and abdomen, six legs, two antennae, and one or two pairs of wings.
↘ informal any small invertebrate animal such as a spider or tick.
Origin
C17: from L. (animal) ~um 'segmented (animal)' (translating Gk zōion entomon ), from insecare 'cut up or into'.