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: a wingless bloodsucking hemipterous bug (Cimex lectularius) sometimes infesting houses and especially beds and feeding on human blood
Examples of bedbug in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pictures or videos of what appeared to be bedbugs on trains or subways were posted online.
—Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2023
None of these reports involved a bedbug infestation as was reported in some media outlets.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2024
Public transport has been a cause for concern in recent months with a bedbug outbreak and overcrowding.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 5 Jan. 2024
From comments about the fall 2023 bedbug outbreak in Paris, as recorded in news reports.
—Michelle Orange, Harper's Magazine, 12 Dec. 2023
How bedbugs affect seniors The task of discovering bedbugs can be harder for seniors, as their skin is actually less sensitive to the bites, according to Robert Edwards, a property manager and pest control expert who specializes in bedbug infestations in Butte, Montana.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 20 Oct. 2023
For example, some mattress protectors are strictly designed to protect from bedbugs by fully encasing the mattress.
—Olivia Avitt, Peoplemag, 19 Jan. 2024
Unfortunately, bedbugs do seem to travel aboard soft-sided suitcases and duffel bags.
—Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 12 Dec. 2023
Luckily, exterminators said people shouldn’t worry too much about bedbugs, which are a far more common issue than many would like to think.
—Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 15 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bedbug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1708, in the meaning defined above
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Dictionary Entries Near bedbug
Cite this Entry
“Bedbug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedbug. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.
Kids Definition
bedbug
noun
bed·bug
ˈbed-ˌbəg
: a wingless bloodsucking bug sometimes infesting houses and especially beds
Medical Definition
bedbug
noun
bed·bug
ˈbed-ˌbəg
: a wingless bloodsucking bug (Cimex lectularius) sometimes infesting houses and especially beds and feeding on human blood
called also chinch
More from Merriam-Webster on bedbug
Nglish: Translation of bedbug for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bedbug
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