Read full poem →The smiles of harlots, and the tears of heirs,
Cages for gnats, and chains to yoke a flea,
Dried butterflies, and tomes of casuistry.
Dictionary Entry
A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities.
Origin
Origin details are still being enriched for this entry.
Common Phrases
market fleamarkets flea. fleabeetle fleabeetles fleabites fleaflea ratflea water
Missing dictionary details are being fetched in the background.
Poetry examples for “flea”
Excerpts from the ReadingWillow English Library collection.
Read full poem →Stowe MS. 961 A Paradoxe of a Painted Face 456
Sonnett. Madam that flea 459
Addl. MS. 11811 On Black Hayre and Eyes 460
Read full poem →Mark but this flea, and mark in this,
How little that which thou deniest me is;
Read full poem →Klein. Who clipped the lion's wings
And flea'd his rump and pared his claws?
Thought Burbank, meditating on
Read full poem →First was muttering a prayer,
Second rummaged for a flea;
On a windy stone, the third,
Read full poem →Yes, or a muckman. Must I be his load?
A flea would do. If one chap wasn't bloody,
Or went stone-cold, I'd find another body.