CHIGOE
chigoe, chigger, chigoe flea, Tunga penetrans
(noun) small tropical flea; the fertile female burrows under the skin of the host including humans
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
chigoe (plural chigoes)
A small tropical flea, Tunga penetrans, whose females burrow under the skin of animals, including humans, and lay their eggs, causing strong irritation and sores.
Synonyms
• (Tunga penetrans): chegoe, chegre, chigger, chigre, chique, jigger
Source: Wiktionary
Chig"oe, Chig"re, n. Etym: [Cf. F. chigue, perh. fr. Catalan chic small, Sp. chico; or of Peruvian origin.] (Zoöl.)
Definition: A species of flea (Pulex penetrans), common in the West Indies and South America, which often attacks the feet or any exposed part of the human body, and burrowing beneath the skin produces great irritation. When the female is allowed to remain and breed, troublesome sores result, which are sometimes dangerous. See Jigger. [Written also chegre, chegoe, chique, chigger, jigger.]
Note: The name is sometimes erroneously given to certain mites or ticks having similar habits.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
19 June 2025
ROOTS
(noun) the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage; “his roots in Texas go back a long way”; “he went back to Sweden to search for his roots”; “his music has African roots”
Do you know this game?
Wordscapes is a popular word game consistently in the top charts of both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The Android version has more than 10 million installs. This guide will help you get more coins in less than two minutes of playing the game. Continue reading Wordscapes: Get More Coins