punaise

noun

pu·​naise

pyüˈnāz

variants or punese

-nēz

plural -s

: bedbug

Word History

Etymology

Middle French punaise, from feminine of punais stinking, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin putinasius stinking from the nose, from Latin putēre to stink + nasus nose

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!