Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for cockroach. Search instead for Lucky proach.
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.

After JPMorgan Chase boss Jamie Dimon used a cockroach analogy to warn about looming defaults, Nesbitt declared there were “No Cockroaches in Private Debt.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

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

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

In academia, the strategy of trapping customers is sometimes called the “roach motel,” she explained, a reference to a popular television ad from the late 1970s for a cockroach trap.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

“I probably shouldn’t say this, but when you see one cockroach, there are probably more,” Dimon said.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 11, 2025

While we were waiting I saw a cockroach on the parquet floor that must have been at least three inches long.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

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.