bug
1Idioms about bug
Origin of bug
1OTHER WORDS FROM bug
un·bugged, adjectiveWords nearby bug
Other definitions for bug (2 of 3)
Origin of bug
2Other definitions for bug (3 of 3)
MORE ABOUT BUG
What is a basic definition of bug?
The word bug is used loosely to mean an insect or creature that resembles an insect. Bug is also used to mean a glitch or imperfection, as in a computer program. Bug is used as a verb to mean to bother or annoy someone. Bug has many other uses as a noun and verb.
The word bug is used as a catch-all term for small, creepy pests. In general usage, it is used interchangeably with the word insect to refer to things like ants, bees, beetles, and even spiders.
Scientists, though, use the words bug and insect to mean slightly different things. Insect refers to organisms that belong to Insecta, a very large class of animals whose members have a three-part body, six legs, and usually two pairs of wings. Scientists use bug (or true bug) to refer to the members of the order Hemiptera, which is within the Insecta class. Hemiptera members include cicadas, aphids, and stink bugs.
- Used in a sentence: He sat in the tent to try and avoid the bugs outside.
Bug is used informally to refer to glitches or defects, especially when discussing electronics.
- Used in a sentence: The company didn’t release the new laptop until it had fixed all of the bugs.
As a verb, bug means to annoy or to bother someone.
- Used in a sentence: Tom was bugged by his son jumping up and down while begging for ice cream.
Where does bug come from?
The first records of bug come from around 1590. Its origin is unknown. It may be related to an earlier bug, meaning “bogeyman,” whose first records come from around 1425. The origin of this bug is also unknown.
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What are some other forms related to bug?
- unbugged (adjective)
- buggy (adjective)
What are some synonyms for bug?
What are some words that share a root or word element with bug?
What are some words that often get used in discussing bug?
How is bug used in real life?
Bug is a very common word used loosely to refer to insects or similar creatures that very few people are fond of.
Can I please just sit outside without a bug buzzing by my ear or getting all up in my face?! I hate bugs! #gross 🐞🐜🐝
— Kaleigh (@kaleighnobles) May 20, 2013
Sure wish Apple would fix the bugs in the IOS 8 update. My battery suddenly dies so fast now. Ugh.
— daveontv (@daveontv) October 10, 2014
Sorry my bad grammar was really bugging me… 🤣
— Ranj Singh (@DrRanj) March 14, 2020
Try using bug!
Which of the following creatures is least likely to be called a bug?
A. wasp
B. mouse
C. mosquito
D. dragonfly
How to use bug in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for bug (1 of 4)
Word Origin for bug
British Dictionary definitions for bug (2 of 4)
Word Origin for bug
British Dictionary definitions for bug (3 of 4)
British Dictionary definitions for bug (4 of 4)
Scientific definitions for bug
Usage
The word bug is often used to refer to tiny creatures that crawl along, such as insects and even small animals that are not insects, such as spiders and millipedes. But for scientists the word has a much narrower meaning. In the strictest terms bugs are those insects that have mouthparts adapted for piercing and sucking. The mouthparts of these bugs are contained in a beak-shaped structure. Thus scientists would classify a louse but not a beetle or a cockroach as a bug. In fact, scientists often call lice and their relatives true bugs to distinguish them better from what everyone else calls bugs.
Cultural definitions for bug
A generic term that describes a malfunction of undetermined origin in a computer or other electronic device.