Bedbug
/ˈbɛdˌbʌɡ/noun
A small parasitic insect that feeds on human blood, especially at night.
Did you know?The word is a straightforward compound, but the insect’s long association with sleeping places made it a perfect target for folklore, fear, and “night-visitor” superstitions across cultures.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
bedbūg
“a bug associated with a bed”
Middle English
ME
bedbugge
“a bed-dwelling biting insect”
16th Century
English
bedbug
“the common name for the blood-feeding insect found in beds”
Modern English
English
bedbug
“a small nocturnal parasitic insect of the family Cimicidae”