Basic+ Word of the Day: flea

flea (noun)

A flea market

A flea is a small insect without wings that sucks blood and can jump long distances.

• The dog was scratching because it had fleas.
• The fleas jumped from one dog to another.

Don't confuse it with

Flee, which sounds the same as flea, means ‘to run away from danger.’ Example: “If you see a group of people running toward you, it’s time to flee.”

Common uses

flea market: a market where used items are sold. Example: “Amanda found some rare books at the flea market.”

Did you know?

Do you wonder how fleas can jump so far? Then watch the video “Flea Jump Mystery Solved.”

In pop culture

Flea, the bass guitar player of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, shows his technique for slapping a bass guitar in this video.

There are other meanings of flea.