bug
Any of various species of marine (saltwater or freshwater) crustaceans; e.g.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1620 · no dated citations yet📜 This word in 1898 dialectexpand
Written bugge Sc. (JAM.) [bug.]
Joseph Wright, English Dialect Dictionary (1898–1905)
Definitions
Any of various species of marine (saltwater or freshwater) crustaceans; e.g. a Moreton Bay bug, mudbug.
Comments
(informal, proscribed) Any insect, or sometimes an arachnid, crustacean, or other arthropod, especially one that is small, terrestrial, or seen as a pest.
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(entomology) An insect of the order (the “true bugs”).
These flies are a bother. I’ll get some bug spray and kill them.
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Semantically related
- mudbug73%
(US, informal) A crayfish.
- Moreton Bay bug71%
(Australia) The species of the slipper lobster family; a common seafood item.
- mudbug67%
A folksy Southern US term for a crayfish, the small freshwater crustacean beloved in Cajun and Creole cooking. The name perfectly captures where these creatures live — burrowed in muddy riverbanks and creek beds. In Louisiana especially, mudbugs are a cultural institution: boiled with spicy seasoning and eaten by the pound at backyard crawfish boils. The word has genuine regional charm and wide recognition.