Illustration of assassin bug
assassin bug
noun
: any of a family (Reduviidae) of bugs that are usually predatory on insects though some (such as a kissing bug) suck the blood of mammals
called also reduviid
Examples of assassin bug in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Armando assassin bug was also found on cacao farms in a region of Colombia that has suffered lots of deforestation for agriculture and livestock, the researchers said.
—
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 22 July 2024
Unlike squash bugs, assassin bugs are solitary critters, and they’re rarely seen in groups.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2024
The assassin bug sucks up the soupy tissue and attaches the corpse to its back like a creepy backpack.
—Holly Barker, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2022
That's because this is a white-eyed assassin bug.
—cincinnati.com, 30 Apr. 2021
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Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 22 July 2024
Unlike squash bugs, assassin bugs are solitary critters, and they’re rarely seen in groups.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2024
The assassin bug sucks up the soupy tissue and attaches the corpse to its back like a creepy backpack.
—Holly Barker, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2022
That's because this is a white-eyed assassin bug.
—cincinnati.com, 30 Apr. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Assassin bug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassin%20bug. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
assassin bug
noun
as·sas·sin bug
ə-ˈsas-ᵊn- 
: any bug of the family Reduviidae compare conenose
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