cockroach
Americannoun
-
cockroaches
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cockroach
1615–25; < Spanish cucaracha, of uncertain origin, assimilated by folk etymology to cock 1, roach 2
Explanation
A cockroach is a large insect that's a familiar urban pest. If you've got cockroaches in your apartment, you'll see them scatter when you flip on the light in your kitchen at night. Cockroaches have been around for hundreds of millions of years, and experts guess they might outlive humans. These hardy insects have adapted to so many threats over time that they're nearly indestructible today. For example, radiation that would kill you won't harm a cockroach. It's almost impossible to drown them (they can live for hours without oxygen), and they're immune to most of the poisons people use on them. Cockroach comes from the Spanish cucaracha, "beetle."
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.
See Examples For:
Davies said the number of cockroach infestations he was dealing with had increased dramatically.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
He said his company had dealt with hundreds of cockroach jobs in the past 12 months, compared with just a handful a year five years ago.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Scientists studying cockroach milk and nose blowing are winners of Ig Nobel prizes.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
Supporters from across India are literally feeding "cockroach" education-reform protesters camped in the capital, sending a deluge of pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and tea.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
And I made a hissing noise, just like the cockroach I saw on TV, right through my teeth.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
It was a response to a remark by India's Chief Justice Surya Kant, who had likened jobless youngsters to cockroaches.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
The team first used specialist vacuum equipment to remove as many of the cockroaches as possible.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
The CJP, which has millions of followers on social media, emerged in May initially as a satirical response to Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly likening young people to "cockroaches" and "parasites" during a court hearing.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Cool Machine” is a modern masterpiece and an ode to New York, no matter that rats skitter and cockroaches scamper underfoot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The potential new antibiotic is found in the chemical secretions of cockroaches.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
