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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

bug en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /bɐɡ/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
  • /bʊɡ/ (Northern-England)
  • /bʌɡ/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
  • (US) audio
  • bŭg

Etymology

First attested in this form around 1620 (referring to a “bedbug”), from earlier bugge (“beetle”), from Middle English bugge (“scarecrow, hobgoblin”) which is traced alternatively to: * a Celtic root found in Scots bogill (“goblin, bugbear”) and obsolete Welsh bwg (“ghost, hobgoblin”); compare Welsh bwgwl (“threat, fear”) and Middle Irish bocanách (“supernatural being”). * Proto-Germanic *bugja- (“swollen up, thick”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew-, *bu- (“to swell”); compare Norwegian bugge (“big man”), dialectal Low German Bögge (“goblin, snot”). * or to a word related to buck and originally referring to a goat-shaped spectre. For the “insect” meaning the assonance with Middle English budde (“beetle”), from Old English budda, from Proto-West Germanic *buʀdō, from Proto-Germanic *buzdô, from the same ultimate source as above, might have played a role. Compare Low German Budde (“louse, grub”), Norwegian budda (“newborn domestic animal”), Icelandic budda (“purse”). More at bud. But ultimately this convergence of meaning doesn't prove a conflation of the two terms; they might have existed in parallel since PIE times with similar meanings, even if unnoticed by literary sources. The term is used to refer to technical errors and problems at least as early as the 19th century, predating the commonly known story of a moth being caught in a computer.

Meanings

  1. An insect of the order Hemiptera (the “true bugs”).
    • Several pretty beetles, a superb "bug," and a few nice land-shells were obtained, and I returned in the afternoon well satisfied with my first trial of the promised land. 1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume II, London: Macmillan and Co., page 199:
  2. (informal, proscribed) Any motile small terrestrial invertebrate, especially one that is seen as a pest.
    • These flies are a bother. I’ll get some bug spray and kill them.
    • Speaking of advertising changes of name, a title by which those lodging-house pests, bugs, are now often known, that of Norfolk Howards, is derived from an advertisement in which one Ephraim Bug avowed his intention of being for the future known as Norfolk Howard. 1874, Henry Sampson, A history of advertising, page 278:
    • 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, translated by D.W. Thompson, The Works of Aristotle: Historia animalium:
  3. (informal) Any minibeast.
  4. (informal) Any minibeast. ▸ Any insect, arachnid, myriapod or entognath. ▸ Any insect.
    • A: Eew, what is that thing?! Is that a bug?! B: No, it's a spider. And don't worry: she's not gonna hurt you.
  5. (informal) Any minibeast. ▸ Any insect, arachnid, myriapod or entognath. ▸ Any of various species of marine (saltwater or freshwater) crustaceans; e.g. a Moreton Bay bug, mudbug.
    • Bugs, oysters, prawns and crabs […] are plated up on the decks of four side-by-side trawlers bobbing on the calm waters of Trinity Inlet. 2021 February 14, The Road Ahead, Brisbane, page 39, column 2:
  6. (informal, slang) Any minibeast. ▸ Any insect, arachnid, myriapod or entognath. ▸ A trilobite.
    • We asked Harris if he had any recommendations about seeing the famous trilobite digs. He said we should just drive out to his claim in the Wheeler Quadrangle, and it was just fine with him if we dug a few bugs. 2007, Kirk Johnson, Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway, page 174:
  7. (Maine, informal) Any minibeast. ▸ Any insect, arachnid, myriapod or entognath. ▸ A lobster.
  8. (UK, informal, obsolete, specifically) Any minibeast. ▸ Any insect, arachnid, myriapod or entognath. ▸ A bedbug.
  9. (jargon) A problem that needs fixing.
    • I have the right principle and am on the right track, but time, hard work and some good luck are necessary too. It has been just so in all of my inventions. The first step is an intuition, and comes with a burst, then difficulties arise — this thing gives out and [it is] then that "Bugs" — as such little faults and difficulties are called — show themselves and months of intense watching, study and labor are requisite before commercial success or failure is certainly reached. 1878, Thomas P. Hughes, quoting Thomas Edison, Edison to Puskas, 13 November 1878, Edison papers, quoted in American Genesis: A History of the American Genius for Invention, Edison National Laboratory, U.S. National Park Service, West Orange, N.J.: Penguin Books, published 1989, →ISBN, page 75:
    • A... leading aluminum producer claims it has worked all the bugs out of building and servicing aluminum radiators, says it hopes to have a large chunk of the radiator market by the early nineteen seventies. 1968 April 14, Popular Mechanics:
    • The software bug led the computer to calculate 2 plus 2 as 3.
  10. A contagious illness, or a pathogen causing it.
    • He's got the flu bug.
  11. (informal) An enthusiasm for something; an obsession.
    • As we rode in the bus in the weird phosphorescent void of the Lincoln Tunnel we leaned on each other with fingers waving and yelled and talked excitedly, and I was beginning to get the bug like Dean. 1957 September 5, Jack Kerouac, chapter 1, in On the Road, New York, N.Y.: Viking Press, →OCLC, part 1:
    • I caught the skiing bug while staying in the Alps.
  12. (informal) A keen enthusiast or hobbyist.
    • Incidentally, the camera manufacturers have had a new worry—that they might "kill off the hobby," as U.S. Camera magazine put it recently—by automating to the point that real camera bugs would feel no challenge. 1961, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, volume 15, number 12, page 34:
    • His mother had been a bug on astrology, which was why the moment of his birth had been impressed on him so exactly. 1961, Fredric Brown, Nightmare in Yellow:
  13. A concealed electronic eavesdropping or intercept device
    • We installed a bug in her telephone.
  14. A small and usually invisible file (traditionally a single-pixel image) on a World Wide Web page, primarily used to track users.
    • He suspected the image was a Web bug used for determining who was visiting the site.
  15. A small, usually transparent or translucent image placed in a corner of a television program to identify the broadcasting network or cable channel.
    • Channel 4's bug distracted Jim from his favorite show.
    • The score bug displays the current football score over the ongoing match.
  16. A manually positioned marker in flight instruments.
    • You look up the proper speed for the phase of flight, set the reminder bug, and then literally forget the speed. You don't read the airspeed number, you fly to the bug. 2004, Flying Magazine, volume 131, number 10, page 10:
  17. A semi-automated telegraph key.
    • At this point your telegraph operator, sitting at your right, goes "Ticky-tick-tickety-de-tick-tick," with his bug, as he calls his transmitter, and looks at you expectantly. 1938, Paul Gallico, Farewell to Sport, page 257:
    • As far as the dashes are concerned, the bug is the same in operation as any regular key would be if it were turned up on edge instead of sitting flat on the desk. 1942, Arthur Reinhold Nilson, Radio Code Manual, page 134:
    • I was a very good radio operator. I bought my own bug. That's what the telegraph key in its modern form was called. It was semiautomatic. 1986, E. L. Doctorow, World's Fair, page 282:
  18. (obsolete) Hobgoblin, scarecrow; anything that terrifies.
    • In old wives tales that in old time did live, To whose odde tales much credit men did give, Great store of goblins, fairies, bugs, nightmares, Urchins, and elves, to many a house repaires. 1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 280:
    • Sir, spare your threats: / The bug which you would fright me with I seek. c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
  19. (qualifier:chiefly LGBTQ; often preceded by the; chiefly LGBTQ; often preceded by the) HIV.
    • The arguably most debated bareback practice that came to attract attention early on (and still does) was that of "bug chasing," in which HIV-negative men (bug chasers) actively seek out sex with HIV-positive men (gift givers). 2019, Tora Holmberg, Annika Jonsson, Fredrik Palm, Death Matters: Cultural Sociology of Mortal Life, Springer, →ISBN, page 130:
  20. A limited form of wild card in some variants of poker.
  21. (US, dated, qualifier:oil industry, slang) Synonym of oil bug.
    • Now, only three years later, most of the major oil companies maintain staffs of these men who examine cores, classify the various types of "bugs," or foraminifera, and make charts showing the depths at which each of the hundreds of types is found. July 1933, Popular Science
  22. (US, slang) An asterisk denoting an apprentice jockey's weight allowance.
    • The "bugs" are the asterisks next to the apprentice's name. One bug is a five-pound allowance, two bugs equal seven pounds, and three bugs equal ten pounds. 1999, Anita Scialli, Inside Track 1999, page 62:
  23. (US, broadly, slang) A young apprentice jockey.
  24. Synonym of union bug.
  25. (slang) A small piece of metal used in a slot machine to block certain winning combinations.
    • Because many illegal slot-machine operators here and abroad do not like to give the slot-machine player even one chance to hit the jackpot or the big bonus, they make use of a "bug." This is a small, flat half-circle of iron about an inch long, which looks something like a bug. 1961, John Scarne, Complete Guide to Gambling, page 394:
  26. (slang) A metal clip attached to the underside of a table, etc. to hold hidden cards, as a form of cheating.
    • Some clumsy or audacious sharpers will go so far as to hold out cards in their lap, or stick them in a "bug" under the table. 1897, Robert Frederick Foster, Foster's Complete Hoyle, page 195:
    • Fargo had been in a saloon in Kansas when a man was caught using a bug. Made of steel and shaped like a money clip with two sharp ends, the bug was jammed under a table and held cards the bug's owner palmed until they were needed. 2006, Jon Sharpe, The Trailsman #299: Dakota Danger:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
bugs Number=Plur lexicographic
bugg alternative, obsolete lexicographic

Deriveds

off-by-one bug · lygus bug · overflow bug · bug nation · ash-gray leaf bug · bug-chaser · bug-chasing · cocaine bugs · dustbug · bugicide · termite bug · ebony bug · bagrada bug · arithmetic bug · bug-eyed · snugglebug · union bug · southern green stink bug · Croton bug · hoard-bug · like a bug to a zapper · Rutherglen bug · bug hotel · bugbane · ladybug · bug spray · picnic bug · seed bug · spitbug · millennium bug · pinacate bug · honeybug · buggish · parent bug · bug-out bag · pill bug · bug-walk · given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow · beer bug · dorbug · greenhouse bug · thread bug · bugnuts · enbugging · Mexican chicken bug · kudzu bug · mandelbug · painted bug · moss bug · antibug · bugwort · harlequin cabbage bug · velvet water bug · web bug · plant bug · giant water bug · scorpion bug · palmetto bug · pram bug · bugfix · pea bug · bait bug · ambush bug · Morton Bay bug · look like one swallowed a bug · buge · litterbug · crazy as a cootie bug · bat bug · sow bug · beard bug · May bug · cute as a bug in a rug · welwitschia bug · bugfucker · scarebug · slug bug · cuddle bug · grass assassin bug · shutterbug · milkweed bug · buffalo bug · Betsey bug · redbug · bug compatible · eyelash bug · boat bug · bugger · rose bug · buggee · mellow bug · bugless · bugfree · kissing bug · bug guy · Betsy bug · bugbear · crazier than a June bug · riffle bug · grease bug · oil bug · slugabug · ginger bug · damsel bug · bug eye · buggable · heisenbug · bug-word · mealybug · brown marmorated stink bug · pumpkin bug · Balmain bug · gold bug · North American wheel bug · dead-bug · water bug · score bug · bitten by the same bug · double-headed bug · conchuela bug · golden egg bug · bug lady · river bug · bugdom · bug man · Australian bug · harmonica bug · sea bug · conenose bug · travel bug · lovebug · thunderbug · salve bug · superbug · feather-legged bug · pirate bug · spittlebug · bughouse · doodlebug · bug-ridden · shield bug · flat bug · burrowing bug · mirid bug · bug juice · toad bug · wood bug · bug-hunter · creeping water bug · new bug · June bug · Jesus bug · bug storm · wheel bug · bug-out · bug compatibility · bug check · armadillo bug · firebug · China bug · greenbug · Y2K bug · Bess bug · beetle bug · bug zapper · leaf-footed bug · bug-a-boo · gnat bug · thread-legged bug · sycamore lace bug · crank bug · bugsome · shore bug · wug · stick bug · stomach bug · welding bug · negro bug · lightning bug · jitterbug · bug-man · wekiu bug · wheat bug · true bug · bug off · bugmail · vampire bug · bedbug · assassin bug · flower bug · bug shoe · bug scrub · striped shield bug · giant mesquite bug · bug-eyed monster · bugproof · bug screen · bug-on-a-stick · lace bug · bug in one's bonnet · sand bug · minute pirate bug · red pumpkin bug · stinkbug · Y10K bug · electric light bug · bug bomb · shield-backed bug · red bug · hornbug · debug · put a bug in someone's ear · buglike · squash bug · schroedinbug · snug as a bug in a rug · Bugthesda · potato bug · bugwood · green vegetable bug · harvest bug · shoot bug · bow bug · predator bug · broad-headed bug · Hindenbug · bug up one's ass · bug woman · like a chicken on a June bug · bugman · stilt bug · harlequin bug · variegated coffee bug · tumblebug · bug eyes · bugology · unique-headed bug · bohrbug · jewel bug · buglet · bugkind · tarnished plant bug

Synonyms

bogle · wire · bogey · oil bug · bog · defect · glitch · bug boy · union bug · boggard · bugbear · boggle

Translations (313)

es error (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · is padda (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · kaa pite (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · sl zajedavska stenica (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ru козя́вка (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · pl błąd (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · el ζωύφιο (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · gl catafede (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ia bug (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fa باگ (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · be клоп (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · tr dinleme cihazı (an electronic listening device) · nrf bog'se d'êcoute-pathai (an electronic listening device) · mt insett żgħir (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · cmn 病菌 (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · gl zafeiro (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · id bug (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · pt escuta (an electronic listening device) · be казю́лька (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ru оши́бка (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ota حشره (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · th แมง (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · fr microbe (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · cs brouk (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · pl bakcyl (an enthusiasm for something) · ru помеша́тельство (an enthusiasm for something) · es defecto (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · cs štěnice (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · fi kärpänen (an enthusiasm for something) · uk ку́зька (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ru насеко́мое (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · uk кома́шка (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · he ג׳וּק (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ang pēo (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · sl hrošč (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · gl ruvicoa (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ja(a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · is böggur (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ba бөжәк (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ru бука́шка (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · th แมลง (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · sl stenica (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · el σφάλμα (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · th จุดบกพร่อง (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · lt vabalas (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · fr virus (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · sh mikrob (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · ga míol (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · it mania (an enthusiasm for something) · mn хорхой (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ka პრობლემა (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · eo fuŝo (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fo brek (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ca cuca (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · de Wanze (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · zza lolık (diq) (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · it cimice (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ca bestiola (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · it morbo (an enthusiasm for something) · de Fehler (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · eo miso (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · eu insektu (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · cs moucha (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · hy վրեպ (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fr manie (an enthusiasm for something) · it cimice (an electronic listening device) · izh itikka (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · id kekutu (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · bg буболе́чка (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · el κοριός (an electronic listening device) · eo cimo (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · mic jujij (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · el κοριός (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · mt bagg (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ca mania (an enthusiasm for something) · fr logo (a small image placed in a corner of a television program) · fi ötökkä (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · es falla (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · de Schnabelkerf (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ca xinxa (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · uk поми́лка (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · gl bicho (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · tr böcek (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ga feithid (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · nv chʼosh (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · sh kukac (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · la cīmex (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · sv kryp (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · fi kuume (an enthusiasm for something) · de Wanze (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ka გაუმართაობა (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · es bug (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ba ҡандала (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · hy բլոջ (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ja バグ (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ru дефе́кт (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fr punaise (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · pt bug (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fi rapu (various species of marine or freshwater crustaceans) · nl beestje (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ru увлече́ние (an enthusiasm for something) · eu zomorro (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ast cocu (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · cy pryf (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ja 不具合 (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ota بوجك (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · bg гре́шка (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ko 도청기 (an electronic listening device) · vi bọ (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · fr petite bête (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · pl owad (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · sl hrošč (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · da insekt (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · es micrófono oculto (an electronic listening device) · eo cimo (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fi merkki (manually positioned marker in flight instruments) · tr böcek (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ja(an enthusiasm for something) · pl pluskwiak (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ka ხარვეზი (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · pt bicho (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · mn бясаа (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · be казу́рка (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · tr böcek (an electronic listening device) · ar خَطَأ (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fr traceur (a small or invisible image on a World Wide Web page) · fi ohjelmointivirhe (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ht ensèk (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · sv halvvinge (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · fi puoliautomaattinen avain (a semi-automated telegraph key) · sl žužek (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · mk бубачка (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · el ζουζούνι (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ru прослу́шка (an electronic listening device) · is lús (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · mic juji'ji'j (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ko 도청장치 (an electronic listening device) · sh insekt (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · da kryb (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · es bicho (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · th บั๊ก (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · de Fieber (an enthusiasm for something) · th แมลง (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · hy բլոճ (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · mic juji'ji'j (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · it errore (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fr mouchard (an electronic listening device) · sh polukrilac (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · sc babboi (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ru пове́трие (an enthusiasm for something) · it batterio (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · gl cabaciña (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · pt bichinho (an enthusiasm for something) · fr insecte (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · de Logo (a small image placed in a corner of a television program) · be кузу́рка (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ast bichu (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · it microspia (an electronic listening device) · pl pluskwa (an electronic listening device) · mk грешка (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · id serangga (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · uk ку́зка (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · pl logo (a small image placed in a corner of a television program) · ga fonn (an enthusiasm for something) · es fallo (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ru глюк (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · sh groznica (an enthusiasm for something) · fr cigale de mer (various species of marine or freshwater crustaceans) · fi seurantapikseli (a small or invisible image on a World Wide Web page) · sh bakterija (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · be баг (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · hy բողոճ (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ast coca (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · uk кома́ха (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · pt bichinho (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · id kutu (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · gl fodegosa (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · pl byk (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · pl robal (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · de Ungeziefer (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · be памы́лка (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · cy pryf (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · xal шалз (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · cs štěnice (an electronic listening device) · pl insekt (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · fa ساس (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · tr bug (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · lv blaktis (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · sv bugg (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · lv kukainis (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · it baco (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · cho shu̱shi (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · it bacarozzo (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · uk баг (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ka დაზიანება (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · el ιός (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · de Wanze (an electronic listening device) · ru ви́русное заболева́ние (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · ca febre (an enthusiasm for something) · it malfunzionamento (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · lt blakė (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ro gândac (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · pt ânimo (an enthusiasm for something) · de Bug (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ia microphono celate (an electronic listening device) · mr बग (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · hu bogár (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ca bug (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · cmn 蟲 /虫 (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ko 벌레 (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · it passione (an enthusiasm for something) · cs chyba (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ru баг (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ru ви́рус (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · es chinche (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · pt hemíptero (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · fi pöpö (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · sc cerpíu (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · pt micróbio (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · sw mdudu (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · mn шавьж (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · cmn 錯誤 /错误 (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · bg бръ́мбар (an electronic listening device) · nl insect (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ka paruli mosmenis elekṭronuli moc̣q̇obiloba (an electronic listening device) · ro gânganie (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · mic jujij (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · es mosca (a small image placed in a corner of a television program) · ca error (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · mr कीडा (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · sh greška (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fr bug (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · pt falha (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · cmn 竊聽器 /窃听器 (an electronic listening device) · gld колан (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · pt erro (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fr bogue (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · cy llau (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · fi kuuntelulaite (an electronic listening device) · de Bazillus (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · pl podsłuch (an electronic listening device) · ro microfon (an electronic listening device) · af insek (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ga fabht (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ka შეცდომა (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ru жучо́к (an electronic listening device) · pt grampo (an electronic listening device) · km កំហុស (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · sv bacill (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · tl gagapang (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · gl percevella (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · cmn 臭蟲 /臭虫 (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · gl chumia (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · la cīmex (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · es pasión (an enthusiasm for something) · ja 黴菌 (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · be казя́ўка (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · de Krabbeltier (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · it logo della rete (a small image placed in a corner of a television program) · fr virus (an enthusiasm for something) · hu poloska (an electronic listening device) · bg бъг (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · af gogga (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · sh virus (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · cy llau (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · nl bug (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ru инфе́кция (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · sh buba (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · fi bugi (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ka დეფექტი (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fi lude (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ko 버그 (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · de Fehlfunktion (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fr pixel de tracking (a small or invisible image on a World Wide Web page) · ca defecte (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fa اشکال (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · gl becho (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · fi salakuuntelulaite (an electronic listening device) · mt infezzjoni (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · cmn 熱衷 /热衷 (an enthusiasm for something) · eo cimo (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ja 盗聴器 (an electronic listening device) · de Mikrobe (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · fr micro (an electronic listening device) · eo eraro (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · pt defeito (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · sk chyba (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · ka ფარულად მოსასმენი (an electronic listening device) · hy բագ (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · hy սխալ (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · id kepik (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · el ελάττωμα (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fi logo (a small image placed in a corner of a television program) · ru клоп (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · pl bug (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · he חרק (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · km សត្វល្អិត (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ga frídín (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · pl robak (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · gl coco (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · mt vajrus (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · hu hiba (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · fr écoute (an electronic listening device) · tr böcek (a colloquial name for various arthropods and other similar creeping creatures) · ht ensèk (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · nv chʼosh (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · it virus (contagious illness, bacteria, virus) · he באג (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · vi lỗi (problem that needs fixing (especially in computing)) · nl wants (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · uk клоп (an insect of the order Hemiptera) · ca micròfon amagat (an electronic listening device) · es manía (an enthusiasm for something)

wikidata: Q26371 · wikidata: Q6865172 · wikidata: Q1390 · wikidata: Q6865172 · wikidata: Q6865172 · wikidata: Q6865172 · wikidata: Q6865172 · wikidata: Q6865172 · wikidata: Q179550

Source: en.wiktionary, “bug” (noun), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

bug en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /bɐɡ/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
  • /bʊɡ/ (Northern-England)
  • /bʌɡ/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
  • (US) audio
  • bŭg

Etymology

First attested in this form around 1620 (referring to a “bedbug”), from earlier bugge (“beetle”), from Middle English bugge (“scarecrow, hobgoblin”) which is traced alternatively to: * a Celtic root found in Scots bogill (“goblin, bugbear”) and obsolete Welsh bwg (“ghost, hobgoblin”); compare Welsh bwgwl (“threat, fear”) and Middle Irish bocanách (“supernatural being”). * Proto-Germanic *bugja- (“swollen up, thick”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew-, *bu- (“to swell”); compare Norwegian bugge (“big man”), dialectal Low German Bögge (“goblin, snot”). * or to a word related to buck and originally referring to a goat-shaped spectre. For the “insect” meaning the assonance with Middle English budde (“beetle”), from Old English budda, from Proto-West Germanic *buʀdō, from Proto-Germanic *buzdô, from the same ultimate source as above, might have played a role. Compare Low German Budde (“louse, grub”), Norwegian budda (“newborn domestic animal”), Icelandic budda (“purse”). More at bud. But ultimately this convergence of meaning doesn't prove a conflation of the two terms; they might have existed in parallel since PIE times with similar meanings, even if unnoticed by literary sources. The term is used to refer to technical errors and problems at least as early as the 19th century, predating the commonly known story of a moth being caught in a computer.

Meanings

  1. (informal, transitive) To annoy.
    • Don’t bug me, I’m busy!
  2. (informal, intransitive) To act suspiciously or irrationally, especially in a way that annoys others.
    • I'm worried about Wallace. He's been buggin' all week.
  3. (transitive) To install an electronic listening device or devices in.
    • We need to know what’s going on. We’ll bug his house.
  4. (intransitive, of eyes) To bulge or protrude.
    • I well remember the combination of excitement and apprehension with which I tentatively entered my first "rap." My eyes bugged open. There must have been 25 women in the room. I don't think I had ever seen so many lesbians all together in one place before. 1979 April 28, Lois H. Johnson, “Ten Years of Boston DOB: A Personal Memoir”, in Gay Community News, page 8:
  5. (transitive) To represent (a value) using a bug on an instrument.
    • You (or the autopilot) are still steering to the bugged heading […] 1996 April 5, Tom Horne, “Engage FD, and follow the bars”, in AOPA Turbine Pilot:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
bugs Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
bugg alternative, obsolete lexicographic
bugged Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
bugged Tense=Past lexicographic
bugging Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Deriveds

bug in · bug down · bug out · bug up

Synonyms

wire

Translations (74)

es buscarle las cosquillas (to annoy) · sl živcirati (to annoy) · sv bugga (to install an electronic listening device in) · gl amolar (to annoy) · scn siḍḍijari (to annoy) · ru надоеда́ть (to annoy) · ru ustanávlivatʹ apparatúru dlja podslúšivanija (to install an electronic listening device in) · ru достава́ть (to annoy) · ia irritar (to annoy) · pl zakładać pluskwę (to install an electronic listening device in) · fr taper sur le système (to annoy) · fi ärsyttää (to annoy) · pl podłożyć pluskwę (to install an electronic listening device in) · ia installar microphonos (to install an electronic listening device in) · fr mettre sur écoute (to install an electronic listening device in) · cmn 安裝竊聽器 /安装窃听器 (to install an electronic listening device in) · fi asentaa salakuuntelulaite (to install an electronic listening device in) · pt chatear (to annoy) · tr kızdırmak (to annoy) · el τρώω (to annoy) · ja 邪魔をする (to annoy) · gl zangar (to annoy) · gl mornear (to annoy) · gl noxar (to annoy) · la piget (to annoy) · gl aloufar (to annoy) · fr emmerder (to annoy) · fr poser un mouchard (to install an electronic listening device in) · de verwanzen (to install an electronic listening device in) · pt grampear (to install an electronic listening device in) · gl amocar (to annoy) · es hacer la puñeta (to annoy) · fr ennuyer (to annoy) · mg manelingelina (to annoy) · gl empaxar (to annoy) · gl zoroñar (to annoy) · ga cuir isteach ar (to annoy) · mg manahirana (to annoy) · de nerven (to annoy) · la taedet (to annoy) · de auf die Nerven gehen (to annoy) · de auf die Nerven fallen (to annoy) · sv störa (to annoy) · ga bugáil (to install an electronic listening device in) · pl założyć pluskwę (to install an electronic listening device in) · ja 盗聴器を仕掛ける (to install an electronic listening device in) · de die Nerven rauben (to annoy) · gl ronchear (to annoy) · it infastidire (to annoy) · ko 도청장치(盜聽裝置)를 설치하다 (to install an electronic listening device in) · it intercettare (to install an electronic listening device in) · fi häiritä (to annoy) · nrf bog'ser (to install an electronic listening device in) · fr microter (to install an electronic listening device in) · gl gravecer (to annoy) · fr agacer (to annoy) · es dar la lata (to annoy) · ia vexar (to annoy) · ko 도청기(盜聽機)를 설치하다 (to install an electronic listening device in) · fr enquiquiner (to annoy) · it spiare (to install an electronic listening device in) · es colocar micrófonos ocultos (to install an electronic listening device in) · mr पकवणे (to annoy) · gl aburar (to annoy) · pl podkładać pluskwę (to install an electronic listening device in) · it scocciare (to annoy) · fr un micro (to install an electronic listening device in) · gl tafonear (to annoy) · mg manadala (to annoy) · es molestar (to annoy) · cmn 煩擾 /烦扰 (to annoy) · fr embêter (to annoy) · pl wkurzać (to annoy) · gl moufar (to annoy)