BUG
microbe, bug, germ
(noun) a minute life form (especially a disease-causing bacterium); the term is not in technical use
bug
(noun) general term for any insect or similar creeping or crawling invertebrate
bug
(noun) a small hidden microphone; for listening secretly
bug, glitch
(noun) a fault or defect in a computer program, system, or machine
tease, badger, pester, bug, beleaguer
(verb) annoy persistently; “The children teased the boy because of his stammer”
wiretap, tap, intercept, bug
(verb) tap a telephone or telegraph wire to get information; “The FBI was tapping the phone line of the suspected spy”; “Is this hotel room bugged?”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Proper noun
Bug
A river flowing northwest 450 miles between Belarus and Poland.
A river in Ukraine, flowing 530 miles to the Dnieper estuary.
Etymology 2
Noun
Bug (plural Bugs)
(slang) A Volkswagen Beetle car.
Etymology 3
Noun
Bug (plural Bugs)
(slang) A Bugatti car.
Anagrams
• gub
Etymology
Noun
bug (plural bugs)
(entomology) An insect of the order Hemiptera (the “true bugs”).
Any of various species of marine or freshwater crustaceans; e.g. a Morton Bay bug, mudbug.
(colloquial) Any insect, arachnid, or other terrestrial arthropod that is a pest.
(colloquial, US) Any insect, arachnid, myriapod or entognath.
(chiefly, computing and engineering jargon) A problem that needs fixing.
Synonyms: defect, glitch
A contagious illness; a bacterium or virus causing it
(informal) An enthusiasm for something; an obsession
(informal) A keen enthusiast or hobbyist.
A concealed electronic eavesdropping or intercept device
A small and usually invisible file (traditionally a single-pixel image) on a World Wide Web page, primarily used to track users.
(broadcasting) A small, usually transparent or translucent image placed in a corner of a television program to indicate what network or cable channel is televising it
(aviation) A manually positioned marker in flight instruments.
A semi-automated telegraph key.
(obsolete) Hobgoblin, scarecrow; anything that terrifies. [late 14th c.–early 17th. c]
Synonyms: bog, bogey, bogle, boggle, boggard, bugbear
(chiefly, LGBT, "the bug") HIV.
(poker) A limited form of wild card in some variants of poker.
(paleontology, slang) A trilobite.
(petroleum industry, slang, dated) synonym of oil bug
(slang, horse-racing) A young apprentice jockey.
Usage notes
• Adjectives often applied to “bug”: major, minor, serious, critical, nasty, annoying, important, strange, stupid, flying, silly.
Synonyms
• See also defect
Verb
bug (third-person singular simple present bugs, present participle bugging, simple past and past participle bugged)
(informal, transitive) To annoy.
(transitive) To install an electronic listening device or devices in.
Synonyms
• See also annoy
Anagrams
• gub
Source: Wiktionary
Bug, n. Etym: [OE. bugge, fr. W. bwg, bwgan, hobgoblin, scarecrow,
bugbear. Cf. Bogey, Boggle.]
1. A bugbear; anything which terrifies. [Obs.]
Sir, spare your threats: The bug which you would fright me with I
seek. Shak.
2. (Zoöl.)
Definition: A general name applied to various insects belonging to the
Hemiptera; as, the squash bug; the chinch bug, etc.
3. (Zoöl.)
Definition: An insect of the genus Cimex, especially the bedbug (C.
lectularius). See Bedbug.
4. (Zoöl.)
Definition: One of various species of Coleoptera; as, the ladybug; potato
bug, etc.; loosely, any beetle.
5. (Zoöl.)
Definition: One of certain kinds of Crustacea; as, the sow bug; pill bug;
bait bug; salve bug, etc.
Note: According to present popular usage in England, and among
housekeepers in America, bug, when not joined with some qualifying
word, is used specifically for bedbug. As a general term it is used
very loosely in America, and was formerly used still more loosely in
England. "God's rare workmanship in the ant, the poorest bug that
creeps." Rogers (Naaman). "This bug with gilded wings." Pope. Bait
bug. See under Bait.
– Bug word, swaggering or threatening language. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition