stink bug

American

noun

any of numerous broad, flat bugs of the family Pentatomidae, that emit a disagreeable odor.
any of various other malodorous bugs.

Etymology

Origin of stink bug

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

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.

I’ve never touched a gun nor smote anything larger than a stink bug.

From The Wall Street Journal

From September through November, four students documented their run-ins with a live maggot, a stink bug, a worm-like creature and a fly crawling around on their plates from Everybody’s Kitchen and the USC Village dining halls, according to student news organization USC Annenberg Media, which first reported on the contamination Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times

The growing wasps use the stink bug eggs for food.

From NewsForKids.net

Invasive species in the U.S. like hammerhead worms, spotted lanternflies, murder hornets, and the brown marmorated stink bug, are all from Asia.

From National Geographic

Native to Asia, the brown marmorated stink bug was introduced on the U.S.

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023