bug

BUG/bʌɡ/

Pluralbugs

Verbbugs, bugging, bugged

29 meanings of bug

Practice

1
nouncolloquialcountable
Any small insect or creepy-crawly, like a beetle, ant or spider, often one that is a nuisance.
We called someone to get rid of the bugs in the kitchen.
A bug had been eating holes in the lettuce leaves.
Similarinsect, pest, creepy-crawly
2
software errornounjargoncountable
A mistake in a computer program or machine that stops it from working the way it should.
Like a wrong step in a recipe that makes the whole dish come out wrong.
A bug in the game made all the characters disappear.
The new update fixed several annoying bugs.
UsagePeople fix a bug in a program.
Similarglitch, defect
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3
annoyverbcolloquialtransitive
To bother or annoy someone.
Stop bugging your brother while he's reading.
Loud noises really bug me when I'm trying to sleep.
UsageSay it bugs me or stop bugging me.
Similarannoy, irritate, bother, irk, needle
4
illnessnouncountable
An illness you can catch from other people, or the germ that causes it.
Like catching a cold that passes from one person to the next.
I caught a bug and had to stay home from school.
Half the office was out sick with some stomach bug.
UsageYou catch a bug.
Similarvirus, infection, germ, illness
5
insect group (science)nouncountable
A kind of insect, such as an aphid or cicada, that sucks juices from plants or animals.
Like a tiny living straw that pokes into a plant to drink.
Unlike beetles, true bugs have a sharp beak for sucking juices.
An aphid is a tiny bug that sucks sap from plants.
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6
enthusiasmnouncolloquialcountable
A strong interest in something that takes over your attention.
Like an itch for something that you just can't ignore.
She caught the travel bug after her first trip abroad.
Once the baking bug hit him, he made bread every weekend.
UsageSay catch the travel bug.
Similarobsession, passion, craze, mania, fever
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7
hide a microphoneverbtransitive
To put a hidden listening device inside a room, phone, or other place.
Agents bugged the hotel room before the suspect arrived.
Someone tried to bug the senator's office phone.
Similarwiretap, tap, wire
8
nouncolloquialcountable
Any tiny living thing too small to see, especially bacteria, including helpful ones like those in your belly.
Yogurt is full of good bugs that help your belly.
Scientists found a bug in the soil, far too small to see, that eats plastic.
Similarmicrobe, germ
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Less common meanings

9
hidden microphonenouncountable
A small hidden device used to secretly listen to what people say.
The spy hid a bug inside the telephone.
Police found a tiny bug taped under the desk.
Similarwiretap
10
nouncolloquialcountable
A person who is very keen on a hobby or activity.
My uncle is a real camera bug with shelves full of lenses.
As a movie bug, she watches a new film every night.
Similarenthusiast, buff, fan, fanatic, nut
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11
bulge (eyes)verbintransitive
Of eyes, to open very wide and stick out, especially in shock.
Like your eyes opening so wide they seem to pop out when you're surprised.
The kids' eyes bugged at the sight of the giant cake.
Your eyes will bug when you see the price.
UsageSay my eyes bugged out.
Similarbulge, pop, protrude, goggle
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12
bed pestnoundatedUK
A bedbug: a small biting insect that hides in beds and feeds on blood.
Bugs are generated from the moisture of living animals, as it dries up outside their bodies. Lice are generated out of the flesh of animals.
1910, Aristotle, The Works of Aristotle: Historia animaliumHere, bugs means bedbugs, small insects that live in beds and bite.
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13
act strangelyverbcolloquialintransitive
To behave in a strange, jumpy, or annoying way.
Like a person who gets jumpy and acts weird when they are nervous.
Relax, you're bugging. That knock was just the cat.
You're bugging! Nobody is hiding outside the window.
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14
web trackernouncountable
A tiny hidden image or bit of code in a web page or email that secretly tracks who opens it.
Like a tiny hidden camera on a page that watches who comes by.
The news site hides a web bug on each page to count visitors.
Privacy tools can block bugs that follow you around online.
Similarbeacon, pixel
15
shellfishnouncountable
A regional or informal name for some shellfish, such as lobsters and crayfish.
We grilled a few bugs we caught off the reef.
Each bug had a hard, flat shell and sweet tail meat.
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16
channel logonouncountable
A small see-through logo shown in a corner of the screen to show which channel you are watching.
Like a small stamp in the corner of the screen that never goes away.
The channel's bug sat in the bottom corner the whole show.
Viewers said the bug was too bright and distracting.
Similarlogo
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17
noununcountable
A slang name for HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS.
Daily pills keep the bug from turning into AIDS.
Before good AIDS drugs, getting the bug often meant dying young.
SimilarHIV
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18
union marknouncountable
A small printed symbol showing that a printed item was made by union workers.
Like a little stamp that shows union workers made something.
Our flyers carry the print shop's union bug at the bottom.
Union printers stamp a bug on their work to show who made it.
Similarlabel, emblem
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19
fossil creaturenounslangcountable
An extinct sea creature with a hard, segmented shell, known today only from fossils.
Like a small, armored sea animal from long ago, now found as stone fossils.
The shale split open, revealing a perfect trilobite, my best bug yet.
Our trilobite club found six bugs at the quarry today.
Similartrilobite
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20
nounobsolete
An imaginary creature or thing that frightens people, like a goblin or scary figure.
Sir, spare your threats: / The bug which you would fright me with I seek.
c. 1610, William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”Here, bug means a scary monster or thing used to frighten someone.
Similarbogey, bugbear, bogle
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21
pilot's markernouncountable
A marker a pilot moves by hand on a dial to mark an important number.
Like a sticky note you slide onto a dial to remember a number.
The pilot set the bug to the right landing speed.
She moved the bug to mark the new heading.
Similarmarker
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22
set a markerverbtransitive
To set a marker on a dial or gauge to show a chosen value.
Like moving a sticky note onto a number so you remember to watch for it.
The pilot bugged the speed she wanted before takeoff.
Bug the target altitude so you don't forget it.
Similarset, mark
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23
allowance marknounslangUScountable
A star mark printed by a young jockey's name to show they carry less weight.
Like a little star next to a beginner's name that means they get a small head start.
The program showed a bug next to the new rider's name.
Fans noticed the bug and knew the jockey was still an apprentice.
Similarasterisk
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24
nounslangUScountable
A young rider who is still learning to be a jockey and gets a weight break.
Like a trainee who is still learning the job and gets a little help to keep up.
The trainer gave the bug his first big race.
As a bug, she rode with a weight allowance all season.
Similarapprentice
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25
wild cardnouncountable
A special card in some poker games that works only as a limited wild card.
She drew the bug and used it to finish her flush.
In this game the bug can only stand in for an ace.
Similarjoker
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26
telegraph keynouncountable
A special telegraph key that sends Morse code dots automatically to make sending faster.
Like a tool that taps out the short beeps for you so your hand gets less tired.
The old operator could send code fast with his bug.
She learned to use a bug to speed up her Morse sending.
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27
slot machine blockernounslangcountable
A small metal part placed inside a slot machine to stop certain winning lineups.
Like a tiny block that quietly stops a machine from ever paying the big prize.
The shady bar owner put a bug in the slots to block jackpots.
A metal bug inside the slot machine kept three sevens from ever lining up.
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28
card-hiding clipnounslangcountable
A metal clip fixed under a table to hide cards, used for cheating in card games.
Like a secret little holder under the table where a cheater stashes hidden cards.
The card sharp kept an extra ace in the bug under the table.
The cheat kept a spare ace in a metal bug under the table.
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29
noundatedUS
A very small fossil that oil workers study in rock samples.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of bug apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

This word was in use by around 1620 meaning "bedbug," from an older word for "beetle." It may go back to a Middle English word meaning "scarecrow" or "hobgoblin," though its deeper origin is uncertain.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

Bug was in use around 1620 meaning bedbug. fr.wiktionary.org
Bug derives from an older word meaning beetle. en.wiktionary.org
A possible ancestor is Middle English bugge, meaning scarecrow or hobgoblin. en.wiktionary.org
The deeper origin is uncertain. fr.wiktionary.org