What does chigger mean?
A chigger is the minute larva of a parasitic mite that feeds on the skin of humans and animals. Barely visible to the naked eye and reddish-orange in color, chiggers live in grassy and brushy areas and attach themselves to hosts passing through, typically around the ankles, waistline, or other warm spots on the body. Contrary to popular belief, they do not burrow under the skin; instead they pierce the surface and inject digestive enzymes that break down skin cells, which they then consume. Their bites produce clusters of intensely itchy red bumps that can persist for days, making them a familiar nuisance for hikers, campers, and gardeners. In American English the term is widespread, particularly in the South and Midwest, while British speakers more often say 'harvest mite.' Avoiding chiggers involves wearing protective clothing and using insect repellents.
nounA tiny six-legged mite larva (genus Eutrombicula in North America) that parasitizes humans and animals, attaching to the skin and feeding on tissue fluids, causing intensely itchy red welts. The name is also applied to related harvest mites in other regions.
- The parasitic larva of certain trombiculid mites that attaches to human or animal skin and causes intensely itchy welts.
- Loosely, any of the trombiculid mites themselves, including non-parasitic adult stages.
"After hiking through the tall grass, she spent the evening scratching the chigger bites along her ankles."
"The dog came back from the field covered in chigger bites."
"Wear long pants tucked into your socks when walking through chigger country in late summer."
Standard English plural; the word is far more commonly used in the plural because the larvae occur in numbers and are rarely noticed individually.
"Chiggers thrive in humid grasslands during late summer."
Chiggers don't burrow into your skin — that's a myth. They inject saliva that dissolves your skin cells, and it's your own body's reaction to their spit that makes you itch for days.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chigger
The word 'chigger' arose in North America in the early nineteenth century, apparently as an alteration of 'jigger,' itself a variant of 'chigoe,' the name of a tropical sand flea borrowed from Cariban languages such as Tupi via Portuguese 'chigue.' Although applied first to the flea, the name shifted in American usage to refer to the trombiculid mite larvae that cause similar irritating bites. It is thus ultimately of indigenous South American origin, transmitted through European colonial contact rather than derived from Latin or Greek roots.
Related word forms
How chigger is actually used
Informal to neutral register; common in American English, especially in the southern and midwestern United States where chiggers are prevalent. In British English the related creature is usually called the 'harvest mite.' The word is almost always used in plural or collective contexts since individual larvae are nearly invisible.
Easily confused with chigger
A jigger is a small measuring cup for liquor or, in another sense, a parasitic sand flea (Tunga penetrans), whereas a chigger is a mite larva that causes itchy bites.