chigger
/ˈt͡ʃɪɡɚ/ noun
Forms chiggers chigga
- noun A chigoe (Tunga penetrans), a kind of flea found in tropical climates.
- noun A harvest mite (Trombiculidae spp.), a very small, red mite endemic to the Midwestern and Southeastern US, the infestation of which causes intense itching.
- noun (US, slang, derogatory, offensive, ethnic slur) An East Asian person who behaves in ways similar to a stereotypical urban African American.
Synonyms
harvest mite chigoe chigoe flea Tunga penetrans jigger redbug
Etymology
From chigoe, likely from a Cariban language term such as Kari'na siko (“chigoe”) (early recorded variant chico), from Proto-Cariban *tikô.
Blend of chink + nigger.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “chigger”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details