bedbug

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

Definition of bedbug

: 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

Werner praised the whistleblowers for bringing the problems to light and said one of them hoped the VA would investigate further allegations of a bedbug infestation and other problems. Los Angeles Times, "VA cuts off Van Nuys assisted living home that reported visit to veteran who had died," 9 Aug. 2019 Detainees at some centers have endured extreme heat, bedbug infestations, overflowing toilets, days without showers, and shortages of food and decent health care. Kirk Semple, BostonGlobe.com, "Overflowing toilets, bedbugs and high heat: Inside Mexico’s migrant detention centers," 3 Aug. 2019 There are a great many references to lice, fleas, bedbugs, and cockroaches in the first draft, almost none in the 1952 edition, and only a few in the 1956. Robert Chandler, The New Yorker, "How the Soviet Literary Establishment Censored Vasily Grossman," 19 June 2019 Theories for their deaths ranged from exposure to a strong pesticide called chlorpyrifos – which is banned in the U.S. but used in Asian countries to tackle bedbugs – to a deliberate attempt to put poison in their drinks. Elizabeth Llorente, Fox News, "When dream vacations turn into tragedies: Many deaths at popular resorts remain mysteries," 12 June 2019 Beyond the cockroach, other seemingly uninviting spectacles include a 5-foot-long bloodsucking bedbug, a very hairy bumblebee, and deadly red scorpions. Grace Dickinson, Philly.com, "17 gigantic bugs have crawled into the Academy of Natural Sciences for 'Xtreme Bugs' exhibit," 22 May 2018 Chances are pretty good that anything that kills a bedbug will kill a flea. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "How to Get Rid of Bedbugs Once and For All," 6 Nov. 2018 The lawsuits allege that property managers failed to respond to rodent and bedbug infestations, flooding and criminal squatters in vacant units, as well as broken heating systems in winter and sewage backups on G Street. Fenit Nirappil, Washington Post, "District sues landlord Sanford Capital over poor housing conditions. Again.," 15 Feb. 2018 This spring, there were reports of bedbugs in the men’s dorm at another village. Vianna Davila, The Seattle Times, "Tiny-home villages are a key part of Seattle’s homeless strategy. So why did one village lack case management for three months?," 16 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bedbug.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of bedbug

1708, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for bedbug

bedbug

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

Kids Definition of bedbug

: a small wingless insect that sucks blood and is sometimes found in houses and especially in beds

bedbug

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

Medical Definition of bedbug

: a wingless bloodsucking bug (Cimex lectularius) sometimes infesting houses and especially beds and feeding on human blood

called also chinch

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