Also 7(?)–8 chego, 8 chiego, chiger, 8–9 chegoe, chigre, 9 chigua, chigo, chigger. Also JIGGER. [A West-Indian name: the F. form is chique, which Littré thinks identical with Sp. chico sinall; of this chigo might be a negro corruption: evidence is wanting. Chigger, jigger, are corruptions by English-speaking people.]
A small species of flea (Pulex or Sarcopsylla penetrans), found in the West Indies and South America. The female burrows beneath the skin of the human feet (and sometimes of the hands) and becomes greatly distended with eggs, which are sometimes hatched there, causing itching, and painful sores. Hence † chigoe-pated a. (quot. 1691).
1691. [S. Grascome], Reply to Vind. of Disc. on Unreasonableness of New Separation, 11. By Vertue of which, for any thing I know, a busie Chego-pated Priest, may insolently attempt to Visit his Metropolitan.
1708. Kersey, Chiego, a small Creature that gets into the Feet of those that live in the Island of Barbadoes, and makes them very uneasie.
1748. Phil. Trans., XLV. 162. The Chego.
1756. P. Browne, Jamaica, 418. The Chigoe or Chiger … is very frequent and troublesome in all our sugar-colonies.
1781. Smeatham, in Phil. Trans., LXXI. 170. The jigger of the West Indies.
1796. Stedman, Surinam, I. vii. 137. Multitudes of chigoes or sand-fleas.
1810. Southey, Hist. Brazil, x. 436. The first settlers suffered terribly from the chiguas or jiggers.
1830. Lindley, Nat. Syst. Bot., 46. In the West Indies the juice of Mammea is employed to destroy the chiggers.
1868. F. Boyle, Ride across Cont., 68. ‘Neguas’ … better known in England by their West Indian name, ‘jiggers’ or ‘chigos.’
