cockroach

noun

cock·roach | \ ˈkäk-ˌrōch

Definition of cockroach

: any of an order or suborder (Blattodea synonym Blattaria) of chiefly nocturnal insects including some that are domestic pests — compare German cockroach

Examples of cockroach in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But at this one place, the cockroach selfie is like, the point. — Rebecca Jennings, Vox, "The Halloween experience in 2018 is less spooky and more selfies.," 22 Oct. 2018 McDonald said, further arguing that two days before the fire, Tam and his wife left the Novi home because of a cockroach problem and went to stay at their lake house. — Detroit Free Press, "Man gets 9 months in deaths of 5 Mexican immigrants who lived in his basement," 4 Jan. 2018 The meek won’t inherit the Earth—cockroaches and carbon-fiber truck beds will. — Andrew Moseman, Popular Mechanics, "2019 GMC Sierra: The Truck That Tried to Reinvent the Tailgate," 27 Aug. 2018 The idea: Experiencing vastly larger-than-life butterflies, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, and bedbugs makes them less creepy-crawly, more relatable. — Bethany Ao, Philly.com, "7 days of things to do in Philadelphia from May 20 to 26," 17 May 2018 Good strategy for the cockroaches, more troubling for us. — Lisa Margonelli, WSJ, "‘Never Home Alone’ Review: The Critters Chez Nous," 28 Nov. 2018 In Florida, a cockroach climbed into a woman’s ear and lived there for nine days. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "2018 in weird science, from alien conspiracies to sensory illusions," 23 Dec. 2018 Because, like the saying goes, after a nuclear war, only two species will survive: cockroaches and Cher. — Keaton Bell, Vogue, "Kimye, Adam Rippon, Tina Fey, and More Came Out for The Cher Show’s Opening Night," 4 Dec. 2018 Many species of cockroaches and rats have also become nocturnal. — Rob Dunn, Discover Magazine, "Our Attempts to Eradicate Insects are Just Making them Resistant to Pesticides," 16 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cockroach.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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cockpit voice recorder

Statistics for cockroach

Last Updated

2 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for cockroach

The first known use of cockroach was in 1623

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More Definitions for cockroach

cockroach

noun

English Language Learners Definition of cockroach

: a black or brown insect that is sometimes found in people's homes

See the full definition for cockroach in the English Language Learners Dictionary

cockroach

noun

cock·roach | \ ˈkäk-ˌrōch

Kids Definition of cockroach

: a black or brown insect that is active chiefly at night and can be a troublesome pest in homes

cockroach

noun

cock·roach | \ ˈkäk-ˌrōch

Medical Definition of cockroach

: any of an order or suborder (Blattodea synonym Blattaria) of chiefly nocturnal insects including some that are domestic pests — see blatta, blattella, periplaneta