3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Insect  \In"sect\,  a. 
  1.  Of  or  pertaining  to  an  insect  or  insects. 
 
  2.  Like  an  insect;  small  mean  ephemeral. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Insect  \In"sect\,  n.  [F.  insecte,  L.  insectum  fr  insectus  p. 
  p.  of  insecare  to  cut  in  See  {Section}.  The  name  was 
  originally  given  to  certain  small  animals,  whose  bodies 
  appear  cut  in  or  almost  divided.  Cf  {Entomology}.] 
  1.  (Zo["o]l.)  One  of  the  Insecta;  esp.,  one  of  the  Hexapoda. 
  See  {Insecta}. 
 
  Note:  The  hexapod  insects  pass  through  three  stages  during 
  their  growth,  viz.,  the  larva,  pupa,  and  imago  or 
  adult,  but  in  some  of  the  orders  the  larva  differs 
  little  from  the  imago,  except  in  lacking  wings,  and  the 
  active  pupa  is  very  much  like  the  larva,  except  in 
  having  rudiments  of  wings.  In  the  higher  orders  the 
  larva  is  usually  a  grub,  maggot,  or  caterpillar, 
  totally  unlike  the  adult,  while  the  pupa  is  very 
  different  from  both  larva  and  imago  and  is  inactive, 
  taking  no  food. 
 
  2.  (Zo["o]l.)  Any  air-breathing  arthropod,  as  a  spider  or 
  scorpion. 
 
  3.  (Zo["o]l.)  Any  small  crustacean.  In  a  wider  sense  the 
  word  is  often  loosely  applied  to  various  small 
  invertebrates. 
 
  4.  Fig.:  Any  small  trivial,  or  contemptible  person  or  thing 
  --Thomson. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  insect 
  n  1:  small  air-breathing  arthropod 
  2:  has  a  nasty  or  unethical  character  undeserving  of  respect 
  [syn:  {worm},  {louse},  {dirt  ball}] 

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