insect

Where does the word "insect" come from? It comes from Latin insectum, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Insect’s story begins in Latin: insectum meant “cut into segments.” Literally cut into, from insecare (to cut into), describing the body's segmented divisions. It reached English by 1600s as insect. Settled as the biological word for small, segmented-body creatures. Today, insect means a small invertebrate animal with a segmented body, six legs, and usually wings.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient insectum "cut into segments", literally cut into, from insecare (to cut into), describing the body's segmented divisions.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s insect "a small invertebrate with a segmented body and six legs", settled as the biological word for small, segmented-body creatures.