assassin bug

American

noun

any of numerous bugs of the family Reduviidae, feeding chiefly on other insects but including some forms that are bloodsucking parasites of mammals.

assassin bug British

noun

any long-legged predatory, often blood-sucking, insect of the heteropterous family Reduviidae

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of assassin bug

First recorded in 1890–95

Compare meaning

How does assassin-bug compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

assassin bug vs. kissing bug

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Other cool eggs you might encounter are the eggs of the wheel bug or assassin bug.

From Washington Post • Feb. 20, 2023

The feather-legged assassin bug, which also preys on ants in Australia, is triumphant less than 3 percent of the time.

From New York Times • Sep. 19, 2022

There’s even an aptly named assassin bug that carries around the carcass of its prey as a backpack.

From Slate • Jun. 23, 2022

Known as an assassin bug, Sycanus uses its mouthpart to stab its insect prey, including the fire caterpillar, one of the most important pests of oil palm trees.

From Science Magazine • Jul. 11, 2019

The assassin bug wears its victims' corpses on its back, where the cadavers act as both shield and camouflage.

From National Geographic • Jun. 23, 2018

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023