Cockroach
/ˈkɒk.rəʊtʃ/noun
A large, flat-bodied insect with long antennae that is often found in warm, damp places.
Did you know?The modern English form was reshaped by folk etymology from Spanish cucaracha, showing how a word can be “rebranded” by speakers until its original shape disappears.
Etymological Timeline
Early Modern Spanish
Spanish
cucaracha
“cockroach”
17th Century
English
cacarootch / cockroach
“borrowed and reshaped insect name”
18th Century
English
cockroach
“standardized English form”
Modern English
English
cockroach
“the common household insect”