chigger

chigger

English

Alternative forms

• chigga

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪɡə(r)

Etymology 1

From chigoe

Noun

chigger (plural chiggers)

1. A chigoe (Tunga penetrans), a kind of flea found in tropical climates.
2. A harvest mite, a very small, red mite endemic to the Midwestern and Southeastern US, the infestation of which causes intense itching.

Synonyms

• (mite): harvest mite

Derived terms

• chigger weed (Anthemis cotula)

Translations

chigoe flea

Alabama: wancholaski French: puce chique (fr) f Japanese: スナノミ (ja) (sunanomi)

Kikuyu: ndutu class 9/10, ngage class 9/10 Spanish: nigua (es) f

harvest mite

Alabama: wancholaski French: aoutat (fr) m

Japanese: ツツガムシ (tsutsugamushi) Spanish: ácaro de la cosecha m, ácaro rojo m

Etymology 2

Blend of chink +‎ nigger

Noun

chigger (plural chiggers)

1. (US, slang, derogatory, offensive) An East Asian person who behaves in ways similar to a stereotypical urban African American.
   • 2007, James Boice, MVP: A Novel, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 37:

     —He's not black, Stacia Jacobs who smelled like pee said. —He's yellow and black. He's a chigger. Do you know what a chigger is? It's a chink and a nigger.