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:
Prior reports by county social workers and San José police “documented significant cockroach infestations,” according to the district attorney’s office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
The protests are widely seen as a reprise of the "cockroach" movement's mass mobilisation in July, which led to the education minister stepping down over an examination scandal.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
He said he had already dealt with six cockroach jobs this month.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Scientists studying cockroach milk and nose blowing are winners of Ig Nobel prizes.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
She seemed to be at the other end of the world, with Doña Andrea behind her, small as a cockroach, holding the door open.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Das and Ranka are key leaders of the CJP, which began as an internet joke in May after India's top judge compared unemployed young people to "cockroaches".
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Prosecutors said Aurora was one of seven children, ages 2 months to 17 years, who lived in an East San José house on Lancelot Lane that was filled with cockroaches, pet feces, garbage and mold.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
The Cockroach party started as a viral online movement in response to the chief justice’s comments comparing unemployed young people to cockroaches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
"Arresting cockroaches straight off their flight shows an unprecedented level of fear."
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
Sitting up, two cockroaches fall off my face.
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
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