Tra từ insect - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

in·sect [insect insects] BrE [ˈɪnsekt] NAmE [ˈɪnsekt] noun

any small creature with six legs and a body divided into three parts. Insects usually also have wings. Ants, ↑bees and flies are all insects
•insect species
•insect repellent (= a chemical that keeps insects away)
•an insect bite
• The pesticide is lethal to all insect life.
see also ↑stick insect Insect is often used to refer to other small creatures, for example spiders, although this is not correct scientific language.

Word Origin:
early 17th cent. (originally denoting any small cold-blooded creature with a segmented body): from Latin (animal) insectum ‘segmented (animal)’ (translating Greek zōion entomon), from insecare ‘cut up or into’, from in- ‘into’ + secare ‘to cut’.

Collocations:
The living world
Animals
animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on sth)
fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)
birds fly/migrate/nest/sing
insects crawl/fly/bite/sting
insects/bees/locusts swarm
bees collect/gather nectar/pollen
spiders spin/weave a web
snakes/lizards shed their skins
bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate
insect larvae grow/develop/pupate
an egg/a chick/a larva hatches
attract/find/choose a mate
produce/release eggs/sperm
lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs
inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast
mark/enter/defend (a) territory
stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey
Plants and fungi
trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower
a seed germinates/sprouts
leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form
flower buds swell/open
a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes sth
pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant
produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores
produce/bear fruit
develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves
provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients
perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis
Bacteria and viruses
bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply
bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on sth
bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize sth/cause disease
bacteria break sth down/convert sth (into sth)
a virus enters/invades sth/the body
a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)
be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria
contain/carry/harbour (especially US) harbor bacteria/a virus
kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria

Example Bank:
•An insect was buzzing around the room.
•Birds control insect pests.
•Gardeners welcome birds as they control insect pests.
•Insects had bored deep into the wood.
•Social insects, such as ants, live in large colonies.
•The wood should be treated against insect attack.
•Unfortunately, pesticides kill off beneficial insects as well as harmful ones.
•Wasps are the master builders of the insect world.