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

Use a shoe to kill it, and throw the cockroach in the trash. — Heloise, Houston Chronicle, "Tired of giving?," 17 June 2018 An undisclosed number of dead Oriental cockroaches — darker, shinier and slightly larger than their German cousins — were also found on glue traps in the kitchen and both front and back brewing areas. — Benjy Egel, sacbee, "Oak Park Brewing Co. closes after cockroaches, mice, weevils found in kitchen | The Sacramento Bee," 21 May 2018 Besides for its unappealing name, cockroach milk is hard to come by. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "Is cockroach milk back as a superfood trend?," 26 May 2018 Twinkies are said to be able to survive nuclear holocaust, but new science shows why cockroaches are just as hard to get rid of. — Kristine Phillips, Houston Chronicle, "A cockroach crawled into a Florida woman's ear. It took nine days to get it out.," 5 May 2018 Other than mild allergies to cockroaches and dust, the allergist found nothing that would account for her congestion. — Sandra G. Boodman, chicagotribune.com, "The girl who couldn't stop coughing," 5 Apr. 2018 Other than mild allergies to cockroaches and dust, the allergist found nothing that would account for her congestion. — Sandra G. Boodman, Washington Post, "Why did a little girl have a persistent ‘smoker’s cough’?," 31 Mar. 2018 The female jewel wasp injects venom directly into a cockroach's brain to paralyze it, preserve it and feed it to her unborn spawn. — Andrea Gawrylewski, Scientific American, "Secret Lives of Animals," 1 May 2017 The event features thousands of creepy-crawlies, including live lizards, snakes and the famous Madagascar hissing cockroaches. — Linda Mcintosh, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Lions Club member receives fellowship award ...community news," 14 July 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

1 Oct 2018

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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