deer tick

noun

: an ixodid tick (Ixodes scapularis synonym I. dammini) of the eastern U.S. and Canada that transmits the bacterium causing Lyme disease

called also black-legged tick

Illustration of deer tick

Illustration of deer tick

Examples of deer tick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s 3 million deer ticks per deer, over one breeding season—even higher for the more fecund lone star tick. — Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026 According to Amanda Roome, associate director of Binghamton University Tick-Borne Disease Center, an adult female deer tick lays around 2,000 eggs. — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 18 July 2026 This spring, the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District recorded a nearly sevenfold increase in deer tick sightings compared with last year, Irwin said. — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026 The disease, caused by bacteria in deer ticks, can produce everything from flu-like symptoms to chronic fatigue and arthritis, if left untreated. — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for deer tick

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deer tick was in 1982

Rhymes for deer tick

See All Rhymes for deer tick

Browse Nearby Words

deerstalker
deer tick
deer tiger
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deer tick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deer%20tick. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

deer tick

noun
: a tick that transmits the bacterium causing Lyme disease

Medical Definition

deer tick

noun
ˈdi(ə)r- How to pronounce deer tick (audio)
: a tick of the genus Ixodes (I. scapularis synonym I. dammini) that transmits the bacterium causing Lyme disease
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