Bug Definition

bŭg

bugged, bugging, bugs

noun

bugs

Any of an order (Hemiptera) of insects with sucking mouthparts and with forewings thickened toward the base, as a water bug or squash bug.

Webster's New World

An insect of any kind, such as a cockroach or a ladybug.

American Heritage Medicine

Any small arthropod, esp. if regarded as a pest, as a louse, cockroach, or centipede.

Webster's New World

A disease-producing microorganism or agent.

A flu bug.

American Heritage Medicine

Any microscopic organism, esp. one causing disease; germ or virus.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

verb

bugged, bugging, bugs

To bulge or open wide, as in amazement.

Webster's New World

To hide a microphone in (a room, etc.), as for recording a conversation secretly.

Webster's New World

To annoy, bother, anger, etc.

Webster's New World

To confuse or puzzle.

Webster's New World

To prey on; worry.

A memory that bugged me for years.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
put under surveillance
listen in on
overhear
spy-on
tap
wiretap
eavesdrop
plague
pester
bother
irritate
rile
put out
provoke
peeve

Antonyms:

Antonyms:
not bother

idiom

put a bug in (someone's) ear

To impart useful information to (another) in a subtle, discreet way.

American Heritage

bug off

to stop annoying someone and leave

Webster's New World

bug out

to run away; desert

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Bug

Noun

Singular:

bug

Plural:

bugs

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Bug

Origin of Bug

Perhaps alteration (influenced by obsolete bug hobgoblin bugbear) of Middle English boude, budde beetle, weevil from Old English -budda as in scearnbudda dung beetle Low German dialectal budde louse

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Middle English budde (“beetle”), from Old English budda (see scearnbudda (“dung beetle”)), from Proto-Germanic *buddô, *buzdô (compare Low German Budde (“louse, grub”), Norwegian budda (“newborn domestic animal”)). More at bud.

From Wiktionary
Middle English bugge (“scarecrow, hobgoblin”), from Proto-Germanic *bugja- (“swollen up, thick”) (compare Norwegian bugge (“big man”), dialectal Low German Bögge (“goblin”, “snot”)

From Wiktionary