bedbug

noun

bed·​bug ˈbed-ˌbəg How to pronounce bedbug (audio)
: a wingless bloodsucking hemipterous bug (especially Cimex lectularius) sometimes infesting houses and especially beds and feeding on human blood

Illustration of bedbug

Illustration of bedbug

Examples of bedbug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Trump administration said Khalil was moved to Louisiana because detention centers in the Northeast are overcrowded and there was a bedbug infestation at the New Jersey detention center where he was held after he was arrested March 8 outside his apartment. Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 22 Mar. 2025 The Trump administration previously said there was a bedbug infestation at the detention facility in New Jersey, near Khalil's arrest, leading them to have to ship him to Louisiana. Greg Norman, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2025 Khalil was transferred from a detention facility in New Jersey to an immigration center in Louisiana, with the government citing a bedbug infestation as the reason. Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025 If your topper doesn’t fully encase your mattress, consider a separate case that will protect your mattress from bedbugs, dust mites and allergens and layer your topper over that. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bedbug

Word History

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bedbug was in 1708

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Cite this Entry

“Bedbug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedbug. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

bedbug

noun
bed·​bug ˈbed-ˌbəg How to pronounce bedbug (audio)
: a wingless bloodsucking bug sometimes infesting houses and especially beds

Medical Definition

bedbug

noun
bed·​bug ˈbed-ˌbəg How to pronounce bedbug (audio)
: a wingless bloodsucking bug (Cimex lectularius) sometimes infesting houses and especially beds and feeding on human blood

called also chinch

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