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Synonyms

cockroach

American  
[kok-rohch] / ˈkɒkˌroʊtʃ /

noun

  1. any of numerous orthopterous insects of the family Blattidae, characterized by a flattened body, rapid movements, and nocturnal habits and including several common household pests.

cockroach British  
/ ˈkɒkˌrəʊtʃ /

noun

  1. any insect of the suborder Blattodea (or Blattaria ), such as Blatta orientalis ( oriental cockroach or black beetle ): order Dictyoptera . See also German cockroach mantis

"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 cockroach

1615–25; < Spanish cucaracha, of uncertain origin, assimilated by folk etymology to cock 1, roach 2

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.

As for animal metaphors, the squid has been joined by the cockroach.

From Barron's

Said McDonald: “Every four or five weeks, there is another cockroach. This is going to be with us for at least another quarter or two until the trust level comes back.”

From MarketWatch

They were slimy with mildew, crawling with cockroaches, but to me they seemed the furniture of heaven itself.

From Literature

It was infested with rats and cockroaches, and smelt "nauseating".

From BBC

Read on: Private-credit ‘cockroaches’ and the AI ‘scare trade’ hammered stocks in February.

From MarketWatch

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.