noun

bug

Translation

insect, bug, glitch, illness

Examples

A small bug was crawling on the leaf.

I think I'm coming down with a stomach bug.

The programmer is trying to fix a bug.

Grammar Patterns

a bug an insect A small bug was crawling on the leaf.

a stomach/flu bug a minor illness I'm coming down with a stomach bug.

a bug in the system/software an error The programmer is trying to fix a bug.

Similar Words

insect, glitch, virus, error

Etymology

From Middle English 'bugge' (a frightening spectre). The sense of 'insect' is from the 17th century. The 'defect' sense was popularized in computing from an anecdote about a moth stuck in a machine.

Memory Tips

Think of a tiny insect (a bug) crawling into a machine and causing a problem (a bug), which then makes you feel ill (you've caught a bug).