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
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Some scientists are hesitant to call bedbugs the first urban pest, however. Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 May 2025 The novel describes souls who, in the wheel of time, inhabit the Frankish king Clovis’ horse, or a bedbug that fed on Napoleon. Nicholas Dames, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025 Taking an aircraft out of service for bedbug treatment is a significant undertaking, according to Rob Tuck, the president of the aviation consulting firm Jet Research. Ryan Craggs, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025 In 2022, the Disneyland Resort agreed to pay $100,000 to a resort hotel guest in a lawsuit settlement addressing claims she was bitten by bedbugs during a visit in 2018. Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Bedbug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedbug. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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

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