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.
Both types are spread by deer ticks. — Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 4 June 2026 They're commonly called a deer tick. — Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 9 June 2026 Black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks, spread Lyme disease and other illnesses. — Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 24 Apr. 2026 My tick was a few millimeters long and teardrop-shaped, with a brick-red abdomen surrounding the black shield on its back—hallmarks of an adult female deer tick. — Kate Wong, Scientific American, 22 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 7 Jul. 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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