bedbug

noun

bed·​bug ˈbed-ˌbəg 

: a wingless bloodsucking hemipterous bug (especially Cimex lectularius) sometimes infesting houses and especially beds and feeding on human blood

Illustration of bedbug

Examples of bedbug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Orkin treats a wider variety of pests, including bedbugs and wildlife, and offers additional home maintenance services. — Dan Simms, USA Today, 11 July 2026

Here’s how to spot bedbugs in hotels, homes and elsewhere and how to get rid of them. — Kate Linderman, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026

In Georgia, chicken farmers are beleaguered by bedbugs, which have hopped from hotel rooms to poultry farms, and from there to workers’ homes. — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1694, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

bedbug

noun

bed·​bug ˈbed-ˌbəg 

: a wingless bloodsucking bug sometimes infesting houses and especially beds

Medical Definition

bedbug

noun

bed·​bug ˈbed-ˌbəg 

: a wingless bloodsucking bug (Cimex lectularius) sometimes infesting houses and especially beds and feeding on human blood

called also chinch