Ixodidae

noun plural

: a family of ticks (as the deer tick, American dog tick, and lone star tick) that have a hard outer shell and feed on two or three hosts during the life cycle

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ixodidae.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/Ixodidae. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!