culex
[ˈkʊ.ɫɛks]masculine
The English word mosquito is translated into Latin as culex.
The term culex is used to refer to a gnat or a mosquito. In more specialized contexts, other Latin names are used to identify specific groups of insects. For example, Culicĭdae is the formal scientific name for the mosquito family, while Anopheles and Aedes refer to specific mosquito genera. Note that Tabanus is a distinct term used to refer to certain species of horsefly.
Meaning: small flying insect of the family Culicidae, known for biting and sucking blood (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word culex is a masculine noun.
Did you know?
- The Latin word culex shares an ancient ancestor with the Old Armenian word slakʻ, which means 'roasting spit'.
- The modern English word 'mosquito' is not a direct translation of culex, but comes from the Spanish 'mosquito', meaning 'small fly'.
Examples in context
- Culex est in horto.A mosquito is in the garden.
Example conversation
Aurelia and Quintus are sitting in a garden.
- AureliaQuinte, culex me mordet!Quintus, a mosquito is biting me!
- QuintusUbi est iste culex?Where is that mosquito?
- AureliaEst in bracchio meo.It is on my arm.
- QuintusEgo eum interficiam.I will kill it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mosquito” translations and entries culex, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries culex, CC BY-SA 4.0.
