• n. 跳蚤；低廉的旅馆；生蚤的动物

可能来自PIE*pleu, 飞，词源同fly.

flea

flea: see puce

flea (n.)

Old English flea "flea," from Proto-Germanic *flauhaz (cognates: Old Norse flo, Middle Dutch vlo, German Floh), perhaps related to Old English fleon "to flee," with a notion of "the jumping parasite," but more likely from PIE *plou- "flea" (cognates: Latin pulex, Greek psylla; see puce).

Chaucer's plural is fleen. Flea-bag "bed" is from 1839; flea-circus is from 1886; flea-collar is from 1953. Flea-pit (1937) is an old colloquial name for a movie-house, or, as OED puts it, "an allegedly verminous place of public assembly."

"A man named 'Mueller' put on the first trained-flea circus in America at the old Stone and Austin museum in Boston nearly forty years ago. Another German named 'Auvershleg' had the first traveling flea circus in this country thirty years ago. In addition to fairs and museums, I get as high as $25 for a private exhibition." ["Professor" William Heckler, quoted in "Popular Mechanics," February 1928. Printed at the top of his programs were "Every action is visible to the naked eye" and "No danger of desertion."]

flea (v.)

"clear of fleas," c. 1600, from flea (n.). Related: Flead.

1. He finds material at auctions, antique shops and flea markets.

他在拍卖行、古玩店和跳蚤市场中寻宝。

来自柯林斯例句

2. Collectors of Fifties kitsch should pop over to Brussels for the flea market.

50年代庸俗艺术作品的收藏者应该到布鲁塞尔的跳蚤市场去看看。

来自柯林斯例句

3. He headed back towards the flea market and was quickly swallowed up in the crowd.

他转身朝跳蚤市场走去，很快淹没在人群中。

来自柯林斯例句

4. The arena livens up only on Saturdays and Sundays when a flea market is open there.

只有在周六周日跳蚤市场开市时，这片场地才会热闹起来。

来自柯林斯例句

5. I'll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more.

如果他再来打扰的话,我就要对他不客气了.

来自《简明英汉词典》