kissing bug


noun
  1. Informal.

    • a person much given to kissing.

    • an irresistible desire to kiss or be kissed.

  2. any of several assassin bugs that attack humans, sometimes inflicting painful bites.

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Origin of kissing bug

1
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Words Nearby kissing bug

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use kissing bug in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for kissing bug

kissing bug

noun
  1. a North American assassin bug, Melanolestes picipes, with a painful bite, usually attacking the lips or cheeks of man

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