Maggot
From Fresh Dictionary
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English
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Etymology
Middle English magot, magotte, probably an Anglo-Norman alteration of maddock, originally a diminutive form of a base represented by Old English maþa (Scots mathe), from common Germanic *mathon-, from Proto-Indo-European *math- used in insect names. Near-cognates include Dutch made, German Made and Swedish mask.
A whimsical or crotchety person was taken to have maggots in their brain, from which maggot for a fanciful or whimsical thing.
- Are you not mad, my friend? What time o' th' moon is't?
Have not you maggots in your brain?
— John Fletcher, Women Pleased (1620), III.iv.
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Pronunciation
| AHD | mÄg'Ét |
| IPA | /ËmægÉt/ |
| SAMPA | /"m{g@t/ |
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Noun
maggot (plural: maggots)
- A fly larva that eats decomposing flesh.
- (obsolete{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}) A whimsy or fancy.
- Mr. Beveridge's Maggot, an old country dance [1].
- small penis
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Derived words
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Related words
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Translations
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