bedbug

noun

bed·​bug ˈbed-ˌbəg How to pronounce bedbug (audio)
: a wingless bloodsucking hemipterous bug (Cimex lectularius) sometimes infesting houses and especially beds and feeding on human blood

Illustration of bedbug

Illustration of bedbug

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of bedbug was in 1708

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 How to pronounce bedbug (audio)
: a wingless bloodsucking bug sometimes infesting houses and especially beds

Medical Definition

bedbug

noun
bed·​bug ˈbed-ˌbəg How to pronounce bedbug (audio)
: 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

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