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stink bug

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noun
any of numerous broad, flat bugs of the family Pentatomidae, that emit a disagreeable odor.
any of various other malodorous bugs.
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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of stink bug

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use stink bug in a sentence

  • Most members of the bug order can eject a disagreeable liquid, though few of them do it so successfully as the stink bug.

    The Insect Folk|Margaret Warner Morley
  • It is even less concerned at being caught than is the skunk, or porcupine, or stink-bug.

    Under the Maples|John Burroughs
  • One of the bugs we know the best and like the least is the stink bug.

    The Insect Folk|Margaret Warner Morley
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