Bug
/bʌɡ/noun
A small insect or other crawling creature; also a defect in a system or a hidden listening device.
Did you know?By the late 19th century, engineers were already using *bug* for mechanical faults, and the famous “moth in the machine” story at Harvard helped cement the idea of a hidden creature causing failure.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
bugge
“a frightening or repulsive thing; a goblin or bugbear”
Middle English
ME
bugge
“an object of fear; later, a crawling insect”
16th Century
English
bug
“a small insect, especially a beetle or bedbug”
19th Century
English
bug
“a defect in a machine or system; also a concealed listening device”
Modern English
English
bug
“an insect, a flaw in software or hardware, or a hidden microphone”