| bug | 1. A bugbear; anything which terrifies. "Sir, spare your threats: The bug which you would fright me with I seek." (Shak) 2. <zoology> A general name applied to various insects belonging to the Hemiptera; as, the squash bug; the chinch bug, etc. 3. <zoology> An insect of the genus Cimex, especially the bedbug (C. Lectularius). See Bedbug. 4. <zoology> One of various species of Coleoptera; as, the ladybug; potato bug, etc.; loosely, any beetle. 5. <zoology> One of certain kinds of Crustacea; as, the sow bug; pill bug; bait bug; salve bug, etc. 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." . "This bug with gilded wings." . Bait bug. See Bait. Bug word, swaggering or threatening language. Origin: OE. Bugge, fr. W. Bwg, bwgan, hobgoblin, scarecrow, bugbear. Cf. Bogey, Boggle. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| bugbane | <botany> A perennial white-flowered herb of the order Ranunculaceae and genus Cimiciguga; bugwort. There are several species. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| bugfish | <zoology> The menhaden. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| buggery | Synonym: sodomy. Origin: O.F. Bougre, heretic, fr. Med. L. Bulgaris, a Bulgar (hence a heretic) (05 Mar 2000) |
| bugle | An elingated glass bead, of various colours, though commonly black. Origin: LL. Bugulus a woman's ornament: cf. G. Bugel a bent piece of metal or wood, fr. The same root as G. Biegen to bend, E. Bow to bend. <botany> A plant of the genus Ajuga of the Mint family, a native of the Old World. Yellow bugle, the Ajuga chamaepitys. Origin: F. Bugle; cf. It. Bugola, L. Bugillo. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| bugleweed | <botany> A plant of the Mint family and genus Lycopus; especially. L. Virginicus, which has mild narcotic and astringent properties, and is sometimes used as a remedy for hemorrhage. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| bugloss | Origin: F. Buglosse, L. Buglossa, buglossus, fr. Gr. Oxtongue ox + tongue. <botany> A plant of the genus Anchusa, and especially the A. Officinalis, sometimes called alkanet; oxtongue. Small wild bugloss, the Asperugo procumbens and the Lycopsis arvensis. Viper's bugloss, a species of Echium. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| bugwort | <botany> Bugbane. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| assassin bug | An insect of the family Reduviidae (order Hemiptera) that inflicts irritating, painful bites in animals and man; related to the cone-nosed bugs (triatomines), a vector of American trypanosomiasis. Origin: Fr., fr. It. Assassino, fr. Ar. Hashshashin, those addicted to hashish (05 Mar 2000) |
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| boat bug | <zoology> An aquatic hemipterous insect of the genus Notonecta; so called from swimming on its back, which gives it the appearance of a little boat. Synonym: boat fly, boat insect, boatman, and water boatman. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| water bug | <zoology> The Croton bug. Any one of numerous species of large, rapacious, aquatic, hemipterous insects belonging to Belostoma, Benacus, Zaitha, and other genera of the family Belostomatidae. Their hind legs are long and fringed, and act like oars. Some of these insects are of great size, being among the largest existing Hemiptera. Many of them come out of the water and fly about at night. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| harvest bug | The larva of Trombicula species. (05 Mar 2000) |
| sea bug | <zoology> A chiton. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |