Meaning
In Australian English, mozzie is an informal noun for a mosquito. The form follows a productive Australian pattern in which a longer word is shortened and an -ie or -y ending is added.
How it is used
Mozzie is an informal word for mosquito. The Australian National Dictionary Centre describes it as originally and chiefly Australian and places it within the common Australian shortening pattern that adds -ie or -y, while Cambridge also recognizes mozzie as an informal form of mosquito.
Examples
- “The mozzies are bad near the water tonight.”
- “Bring repellent because there are plenty of mozzies outside.”
- “I got bitten by mozzies all evening.”
Pronunciation
/ˈmɒz.i/ · MOZ-ee
Tone and register
Casual, familiar, and neutral. It is ordinary conversational vocabulary rather than an insulting or socially sensitive label.
Visitor guidance
Visitors can understand mozzie as mosquito and may also encounter the spelling mossie. The word is strongly associated with Australian English historically, but it is not exclusive to Australia in current English, so geography and history should be kept distinct.
Cultural context
Mozzie is a useful example of how Australian shortening patterns extend into everyday names for animals and insects. ANU researchers also list mozzies among common Australian colloquial fauna names, showing how familiar regional vocabulary can become embedded in routine outdoor conversation.
Origin
The Australian National Dictionary Centre records mozzie, also spelt mossie, from the early twentieth century and describes it as an abbreviation of mosquito formed with the informal Australian -ie or -y suffix; an Australian citation is recorded from 1916.
Places represented
Open the reviewed place guide for each regional sense carried by this canonical entry.
Comparisons featuring this term
Open reviewed place comparisons that explicitly use this canonical term in their editorial comparison set.