water bug

American

noun

any of various aquatic bugs, as of the family Belostomatidae giant water bug.
(loosely) a large cockroach, especially the American cockroach.

water bug British

noun

any of various heteropterous insects adapted to living in the water or on its surface, esp any of the family Belostomatidae ( giant water bugs ), of North America, India, and southern Africa, which have flattened hairy legs

"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 water bug

First recorded in 1740–50

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.

Also referred to as Electric light bug, this giant water bug is described as a vicious hunter, praying on invertebrates, fish, turtles, and even birds.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2024

The delicate "sashimi" is the left-over casing of silkworms, and the cider is infused with water bug extract and topped with a whole insect, said to taste like shrimp.

From Reuters • Jul. 26, 2023

He mixed dazzling ballhandling with muscular defense and water bug quickness.

From Washington Post • Mar. 27, 2022

Then when there’s an emergency like a water bug in the bathroom the handyman is there in an instant to mash it to a pulp.

From New York Times • Jun. 8, 2017

The painted demon squirmed at her feet like a giant water bug.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older

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