bug

1 of 4

noun (1)

plural bugs
1
a
: any of an order (Hemiptera and especially its suborder Heteroptera) of insects (such as an assassin bug or chinch bug) that have sucking mouthparts, forewings thickened at the base, and incomplete metamorphosis and are often economic pests

called also true bug

b
: any of various small arthropods (such as a beetle or spider) resembling the true bugs
c
: any of several insects (such as a head louse) commonly considered obnoxious
2
: an unexpected defect, fault, flaw, or imperfection
The software was full of bugs.
3
a
: a microorganism (such as a bacterium or virus) especially when causing illness or disease
b
: an often unspecified or nonspecific sickness presumed to be caused by such a microorganism
a stomach bug
4
: a concealed listening device
5
: a sudden enthusiasm
6
: enthusiast
a camera bug
7
: a prominent person
8
informal + disparaging : a mentally unsound person
9
[from its designation by an asterisk on race programs] : a weight allowance given apprentice jockeys

bug

2 of 4

verb (1)

bugged; bugging

transitive verb

1
: bother, annoy
don't bug me with petty details
2
: to plant a concealed microphone in

intransitive verb

: to lose one's composure : freak
often used with out

bug

3 of 4

verb (2)

bugged; bugging

intransitive verb

of the eyes : protrude, bulge
often used with out

transitive verb

of the eyes : to cause to bug
his eyes were bugged with horror

bug

4 of 4

noun (2)

obsolete

Examples of bug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
People cited stomach bugs more than half the time as the reason for calling in ill, with the majority of sick-day requests mentioning symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea. BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2023 One thing that’s bugged me about my face for a while is its angles–or lack thereof. Lisa Desantis, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2023 Or stream music from the car in your headphones without bugging your road trip partner? Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2023 Citizen Lab concluded that Vicente Ovalle’s phone — or other devices whose information was backed up to the phone — had been bugged by Pegasus. Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 3 June 2023 That started to bug us — the idea of a giant company’s logo on this thing. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 29 July 2023 It was later revealed that the FBI had bugged Oppenheimer’s home throughout his tenure at Berkeley, the Berkeley Historical Plaque Project says. Amy MacKelden, Harper's BAZAAR, 21 July 2023 Over the decades, the East German state security services, known as the Stasi, watched and bugged his home, followed his car, listened to his phone calls and tried to recruit his friends and lovers. Christopher F. Schuetze, New York Times, 7 July 2023 But the mispronunciations that bug me the most aren’t uttered by any human. Saahil Desai, The Atlantic, 17 July 2023
Noun
That said, Brown and other bug experts largely agree that more rain often translates to more bugs. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023 Newer operating systems may come with bugs when they are first released, CNET reported. Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2023 There are also internal pockets for stowing valuables and two external stash pockets for quick access to essentials like bug spray. Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2023 And not only that, but one particular gene in one particular bug. WIRED, 19 Sep. 2023 Screaming at the sight of a bug in your room, for example, will teach them to be afraid of bugs too. Marisa Cohen, Parents, 18 Sep. 2023 Further protocols include sweeping aircraft and ground transport for surveillance bugs. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2023 Some protectors can even block out bed bugs, dust and other allergens from making their way into your mattress. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023 The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation opened May 4 and, among many other things, brings all kinds of bugs to NYC. Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Verb (2)

probably from bug entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle English bugge hobgoblin; probably akin to Low German bögge goblin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb (1)

1935, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Verb (2)

1865, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bug was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near bug

Cite this Entry

“Bug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bug. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

bug

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: an insect (as a beetle) or other creeping or crawling invertebrate animal (as a centipede)
b
: any of an order of insects (as bedbugs and stinkbugs) that have sucking mouthparts and the forewings part leathery and part membranous and that undergo incomplete metamorphosis

called also true bug

2
: an unexpected mistake or imperfection
a bug in a computer program
3
: a disease-producing germ
also : a disease caused by it
4
: fan entry 3, enthusiast
a camera bug
5
: a concealed listening device

bug

2 of 2 verb
bugged; bugging
1
: to place a concealed microphone in
2
3
: freak entry 3
usually used with out

Medical Definition

bug

noun
1
a
: an insect or other creeping or crawling invertebrate animal (as a spider)
not used technically
b
: any of various insects (as the bedbug or cockroach) commonly considered obnoxious
c
: any of the order Hemiptera and especially of its suborder Heteroptera of insects that have sucking mouthparts, forewings thickened at the base, and that lack a pupal stage between the immature stages and the adult

called also true bug

2
a
: a microorganism (such as a bacterium or virus) especially when causing illness or disease
Enterococcus faecium, an especially nasty bug, often shrugs off even vancomycin, a last-resort antibiotic.Avery Comarow, U.S. News & World Report
b
: an often unspecified or nonspecific sickness presumed to be caused by such a microorganism
a stomach bug
suffering from the flu bug

Legal Definition

bug

transitive verb
bugged; bugging
: to plant a concealed microphone in compare eavesdrop, wiretap

Geographical Definition

Bug

geographical name

1
river over 450 miles (720 kilometers) long in central Europe rising in western Ukraine, forming part of Ukraine–Poland and Poland–Belarus borders, and flowing into the Vistula River in Poland
2
river over 500 miles (805 kilometers) long in southwestern Ukraine flowing southeast to the estuary of the Dnieper River

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