1.  insect(n = noun.animal) - small air-breathing arthropod;
is a kind of arthropod
has parts: clypeus, wing, ala, air sac, thorax, mentum
is a member of arthropoda, phylum arthropoda, cloud, swarm
has particulars: social insect, ephemeral, ephemeron, holometabola, metabola, defoliator, pollinator, gallfly, mecopteran, collembolan, springtail, proturan, telsontail, beetle, web spinner, louse, sucking louse, bird louse, biting louse, louse, flea, dipteran, dipteron, dipterous insect, two-winged insects, leaf-miner, leaf miner, hymenopter, hymenopteran, hymenopteron, hymenopterous insect, worker, termite, white ant, orthopteran, orthopteron, orthopterous insect, phasmid, phasmid insect, dictyopterous insect, bug, bug, hemipteran, hemipteron, hemipterous insect, heteropterous insect, homopteran, homopterous insect, psocopterous insect, ephemerid, ephemeropteran, plecopteran, stone fly, stonefly, neuropteran, neuropteron, neuropterous insect, odonate, trichopteran, trichopteron, trichopterous insect, thysanuran insect, thysanuron, thysanopter, thysanopteron, thysanopterous insect, earwig, lepidopteran, lepidopteron, lepidopterous insect, pupa, imago, queen
Derived form adjective insectan₁

2.  insect(n = noun.person) dirt ball, louse, worm - a person who has a nasty or unethical character undeserving of respect;
is a kind of disagreeable person, unpleasant person

1.  One of the Insecta; esp., one of the Hexapoda. See Insecta. [1913 Webster]
" 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." [1913 Webster]

2.  Any air-breathing arthropod, as a spider or scorpion. [1913 Webster]

3.  Any small crustacean. In a wider sense, the word is often loosely applied to various small invertebrates. [1913 Webster]

4.  Fig.: Any small, trivial, or contemptible person or thing. Thomson. [1913 Webster]

1.  Of or pertaining to an insect or insects. [1913 Webster]

2.  Like an insect; small; mean; ephemeral. [1913 Webster]

insect, n.
1 a any arthropod of the class Insecta, having a head, thorax, abdomen, two antennae, three pairs of thoracic legs, and usu. one or two pairs of thoracic wings. b (loosely) any other small segmented invertebrate animal.
2 an insignificant or contemptible person or creature.

Derivative:
insectile adj.

Etymology:
L insectum (animal) notched (animal) f. insecare insect- (as IN-(2), secare cut)

N  littleness, smallness, exiguity, inextension, parvitude, parvity, duodecimo, Elzevir edition, epitome, microcosm, rudiment, vanishing point, thinness, dwarf, pygmy, pigmy, Liliputian, chit, pigwidgeon, urchin, elf, atomy, dandiprat, doll, puppet, Tom Thumb, Hop-o'-my-thumb, manikin, mannikin, homunculus, dapperling, cock-sparrow, animalcule, monad, mite, insect, emmet, fly, midge, gnat, shrimp, minnow, worm, maggot, entozoon, bacteria, infusoria, microzoa, phytozoaria, microbe, grub, tit, tomtit, runt, mouse, small fry, millet seed, mustard seed, barleycorn, pebble, grain of sand, molehill, button, bubble, point, atom, fragment, powder, point of a pin, mathematical point, minutiae, micrometer, vernier, scale, microphotography, photomicrography, micrography, photomicrograph, microphotograph, microscopy, microscope (optical instruments), little, small, minute, diminutive, microscopic, microzoal, inconsiderable, exiguous, puny, tiny, wee, petty, minikin, miniature, pygmy, pigmy, elfin, undersized, dwarf, dwarfed, dwarfish, spare, stunted, limited, cramp, cramped, pollard, Liliputian, dapper, pocket, portative, portable, duodecimo, dumpy, squat, short, impalpable, intangible, evanescent, imperceptible, invisible, inappreciable, insignificant, inconsiderable, trivial, infinitesimal, homoeopathic, atomic, subatomic, corpuscular, molecular, rudimentary, rudimental, embryonic, vestigial, weazen, scant, scraggy, scrubby, thin, granular, shrunk, brevipennate, in a small compass, in a nutshell, on a small scale, minutely, microscopically.

N  animal, animal kingdom, fauna, brute creation, beast, brute, creature, critter, wight, created being, creeping thing, living thing, dumb animal, dumb creature, zoophyte, mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, crustacean, shellfish, mollusk, worm, insect, arthropod, microbe, microbe, animalcule, alligator, crocodile, saurian, dinosaur (extinct), snake, serpent, viper, eft, asp, aspick, frog, toad, trout, bass, tuna, muskelunge, sailfish, sardine, mackerel, ant, mosquito, bee, honeybee, tardigrade, spider, biped, quadruped, webfoot, flocks and herds, live stock, domestic animals, wild animals, game, ferae naturae, beasts of the field, fowls of the air, denizens of the sea, black game, black grouse, blackcock, duck, grouse, plover, rail, snipe, horse, cattle, kine, ox, bull, bullock, cow, milch cow, calf, heifer, shorthorn, sheep, lamb, lambkin, ewe, ram, tup, pig, swine, boar, hog, sow, steer, stot, tag, teg, bison, buffalo, yak, zebu, dog, cat, dog, hound, pup, puppy, whelp, cur, mongrel, house dog, watch dog, sheep dog, shepherd's dog, sporting dog, fancy dog, lap dog, toy dog, bull dog, badger dog, mastiff, blood hound, grey hound, stag hound, deer hound, fox hound, otter hound, harrier, beagle, spaniel, pointer, setter, retriever, Newfoundland, water dog, water spaniel, pug, poodle, turnspit, terrier, fox terrier, Skye terrier, Dandie Dinmont, collie, feline, puss, pussy, grimalkin, gib cat, tom cat, fox, Reynard, vixen, stag, deer, hart, buck, doe, roe, caribou, coyote, elk, moose, musk ox, sambar, bird, poultry, fowl, cock, hen, chicken, chanticleer, partlet, rooster, dunghill cock, barn door fowl, feathered tribes, feathered songster, singing bird, dicky bird, canary, warbler, finch, aberdevine, cushat, cygnet, ringdove, siskin, swan, wood pigeon, vermin, varmint, pest, animal, zoological equine, bovine, vaccine, canine, feline, fishy, piscatory, piscatorial, molluscous, vermicular, gallinaceous, rasorial, solidungulate, soliped.

N  sibilance, sibilation, zip, hiss, sternutation, high note, goose, serpent, snake (animal sounds), insect, bug, bee, mosquito, wasp, fly, tea kettle, pressure cooker, air valve, pressure release valve, safety valve, tires, air escaping from tires, punctured tire, escaping steam, steam, steam radiator, steam release valve, sibilant, hissing, wheezy, sternutative.

coccid insect, cochineal insect, dictyopterous insect, dipterous insect, hemipterous insect, heteropterous insect, homopterous insect, hymenopterous insect, insect bite, insect powder, insect repellant, insect repellent, leaf insect, lepidopterous insect, neuropterous insect, orthopterous insect, phasmid insect, psocopterous insect, scale insect, spittle insect, stick insect, thysanopterous insect, thysanuran insect, trichopterous insect, wax insect