bedbug

noun

bed·​bug ˈbed-ˌbəg How to pronounce bedbug (audio)
: a wingless bloodsucking hemipterous bug (especially Cimex lectularius) sometimes infesting houses and especially beds and feeding on human blood

Illustration of bedbug

Illustration of bedbug

Examples of bedbug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The association went on to say bedbugs can be transported anywhere in luggage and clothing. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024 The lawsuit also argues that the hotel did not train its workers to inspect rooms for bedbugs and management overseeing the bedbug infestations did not put proper policies in place to make sure guests weren't exposed. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024 Three former employees of the Yosemite Lodge, an Aramark-run midcentury motel where reservations start around $230 a night, say managers continued to book people in rooms where workers reported bedbugs. Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 6 Aug. 2024 Be diligent, as bedbugs can hide in the most inconspicuous of places. Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 29 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for bedbug 

Word History

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bedbug was in 1708

Dictionary Entries Near bedbug

Cite this Entry

“Bedbug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedbug. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bedbug

noun
bed·​bug ˈbed-ˌbəg How to pronounce bedbug (audio)
: a wingless bloodsucking bug sometimes infesting houses and especially beds

Medical Definition

bedbug

noun
bed·​bug ˈbed-ˌbəg How to pronounce bedbug (audio)
: a wingless bloodsucking bug (Cimex lectularius) sometimes infesting houses and especially beds and feeding on human blood

called also chinch

More from Merriam-Webster on bedbug

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