bug Definition

bug¹
noun

1. The common name for any of thousands of insects with a flattened oval body and mouthparts modified to form a beak for piercing and sucking, eg aphids.

Thesaurus: insect, beetle, vermin, gnat, pest.
2. An insect living in dirty houses, etc and thought of as dirty.
(N Amer)
3. A popular name for any kind of insect.
4. colloq
A popular name for a bacterium or virus that causes infection or illness.
Example: a nasty stomach bug
Thesaurus: microorganism, bacillus, germ, virus, microbe; disease, illness, malady, sickness.
5. colloq
A small hidden microphone.
6. colloq
A small fault in a machine or computer program which stops it from working properly.
Thesaurus: flaw, defect, fault, imperfection, blemish, virus.
7. colloq
An obsession or craze.
Example: She caught the skiing bug

verb bugged, bugging

1. colloq
To hide a microphone in (a room, telephone, etc) so as to be able to listen in to any conversations carried on there.
Thesaurus: spy on, overhear, wiretap, tap, eavesdrop, listen in on.
2. slang
To annoy or worry someone.
Thesaurus: annoy, irritate, plague, pester, bother, harass, disturb, get on one's case (US slang).
(US)
3. colloq
Said of the eyes: to bulge or pop out (like the eyes of certain insects).

Etymology: 17c: perhaps connected with Anglo-Saxon budda a beetle.

---

bug²
verb

(chiefly US)
intr
bugged, bugging
1. colloq
To leave or retreat quickly, especially in a panic.
Form: bug out (usually)
Form: bug off

Etymology: 1950s.