bedbug
/ˈbɛdˌbʌɡ/ noun
Forms bedbugs bed bug bed-bug
- noun A small nocturnal insect pest of humans, of species Cimex lectularius (common bedbug) and Cimex hemipterus (tropical bedbug) that feeds on the blood of humans during sleep. “Fiona rapidly discovered that the hotel was infested with bedbugs.”
- noun Any similar insect of family Cimicidae, that feeds on the blood of humans and certain other warm-blooded animals.
Synonyms
mahogany flat Norfolk Howard B-flat bed bug chinch Cimex lectularius
Etymology
From bed + bug.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A wingless, bloodsucking, hemipterous insect (Cimex Lectularius), sometimes infesting houses and especially beds. See Illustration in Appendix.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “bedbug”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details