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The Collaborative International Dictionary
chigger

chigger \chigger\ n.

  1. a small tropical flea ( Tunga penetrans, formerly Pulex penetrans); same as chigoe. [Also spelled chigre.]

    Syn: chigoe, chigoe flea, Tunga penetrans.

  2. a larval mite of the family Trombiculidae that sucks the blood of vertebrates including human beings, causing intense irritation, and serving to transmit several infectious diseases.

    Syn: harvest mite, jigger, redbug.

chigger

Chigoe \Chig"oe\, Chigre \Chig"re\, n. [Cf. F. chigue, perh. fr. Catalan chic small, Sp. chico; or of Peruvian origin.] (Zo["o]l.) A species of flea ( Tunga penetrans, formerly Pulex penetrans), common in the West Indies and South America, which often attacks the feet or any exposed part of the human body, and burrowing beneath the skin produces great irritation. When the female is allowed to remain and breed, troublesome sores result, which are sometimes dangerous. See Jigger. [Written also chegre, chegoe, chique, chigger, jigger.]

Note: The name is sometimes erroneously given to certain mites or ticks having similar habits. [1913 Webster] ||

chigger

Jigger \Jig"ger\ (j[i^]g"g[~e]r), n. [A corrupt. of chigre.]

  1. (Zo["o]l.) A species of flea ( Tunga penetrans, or Sarcopsylla penetrans, or Pulex penetrans), which burrows beneath the skin; called also jigger flea. See Chigoe.

  2. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of small red mites (esp. Tetranychus irritans and Tetranychus Americanus) of the family Trombiculidae, which, in the larval or leptus stage, burrow beneath the skin of man and various animals, causing great annoyance. Also called chigger.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
chigger

1756, from West Indies chigoe (1660s), possibly from Carib, or from or influenced by words from African languages (such as Wolof and Yoruba jiga "insect").

Wiktionary
chigger

Etymology 1 n. 1 A chigoe (''Tunga penetrans''), a kind of flea found in tropical climates. 2 A harvest mite, a very small, red mite endemic to the Midwestern and Southeastern US, the infestation of which causes intense itch. Etymology 2

n. (context US slang derogatory offensive English) An East Asian person who behaves in ways similar to a stereotypical urban African American.

WordNet
chigger
  1. n. small tropical flea; the fertile female burrows under the skin of the host including humans [syn: chigoe, chigoe flea, Tunga penetrans]

  2. larval mite that sucks the blood of vertebrates including human beings causing intense irritation [syn: harvest mite, jigger, redbug]

Wikipedia
Chigger (disambiguation)

A Chigger is a species of Trombiculidae (also called berry bugs, harvest mites, red bugs, scrub-itch mites and aoutas), a family of mites.

Chigger may also refer to:

  • Chigoe flea or "jigger", Tunga penetrans, a parasitic insect found in most tropical and sub-tropical climates
  • A synonym of " bogan" (an unrefined or unsophisticated person) in Tasmania
  • Chigger bite
  • Chigger flower

Usage examples of "chigger".

Half an hour later, they left Chigger to dig for files and ride Matrix overwatch, and Ryan to guard the decker while he worked.

It was also a time of frenzy for the chiggers and bloodsucking flies, thus requiring the fish to be fried inside the hot, smelly trailer.

The Andalusians would have them if they ignored Chigger, and this rough boy would waste them if they ignored him.

The bent end was concave and sprouted four blunt metal prongs about a quarter of an inch long, making it look like the mouthparts of a tremendously magnified chigger.

He cursed, grabbed for the control handle, but before he could swing the shield, a section of lawn the size of a street manhole lifted like a trapdoor behind the chigger and in the full glare of the handlight.

They stowed the fellow in a utility closet, and waited for Chigger to signal that he had overridden the lock.

While Kham was convincing Chigger to do as the metal man said, the rough boy popped open a panel in his chest plate and pulled out a jack.

Then he cut the connection, leaving Chigger to do what had to be done.

Riding the life-sparks of capemoths, of rhizan, of crickets and chigger fleas, of roving blood-flies.

Rhizan flitted in a frenzied wild hunt through the clouds of capemoths and chigger fleas above the tent city sprawled in the ruins.

Countless un-nameable chiggers and midges festering about the cheeks and ankles.

Judith checked his neck for ticks and chiggers, then tucked in his netting.

Earth with mosquitoes, chiggers, and other pests since no one yet had anything to wear.

He knew the area beneath him crawled with insects: wire worms in the roots of savannahs, grubs digging in the moist black earth, hopping beetles, dart-like angita wasps, chalcis flies sacred to the still thriving backwoods Xango cult, chiggers, sphecidae, braconidae, fierce hornets, white termites, hemipteric crawlers, blood roaches, thrips, ants, lice, mosquitoes, mites, moths, exotic butterflies, mantidae—and countless unnatural mutations of them all.

He knew the area beneath him crawled with insects: wire worms in the roots of savannahs, grubs digging in the moist black earth, hopping beetles, dart-like angita wasps, chalcis flies sacred to the still thriving backwoods Xango cult, chiggers, sphecidae, braconidae, fierce hornets, white termites, hemipteric crawlers, blood roaches, thrips, ants, lice, mosquitoes, mites, moths, exotic butterflies, mantidae -- and countless unnatural mutations of them all.