true bug

noun

Any of various insects of the order Hemiptera and especially those of the suborder Heteroptera, that are wingless or have two pairs of wings, and have mouthparts adapted for piercing and sucking.

Similar
bug
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Meanings

nountrue bug (plural true bugs)

plural true bugs

  1. Any of various insects of the order Hemiptera and especially those of the suborder Heteroptera, that are wingless or have two pairs of wings, and have mouthparts adapted for piercing and sucking.

    Fig. 16 is the striped or cucumber-bug, as it is improperly called, but which is in reality a beetle, while fig. 17, the squash-bug, is a true bug, being without jaws or mouth, except a long slender tube, fitted for piercing and sucking the sap of plants.

    1858, “Insects Injurious to Vegetation”, in The (old) Farmer's Almanack, page 37

    Synonyms: bug

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny of various insects of the order Hemiptera and especially those of the suborder Heteroptera, that are wingless or have two pairs of wings, and have mouthparts adapted for piercing and sucking.

Similar
bug
Also see
heteropter

Translations

Dutch wants
  • wantsany of various insects of the order Hemiptera and in particular of the suborder Heteroptera
Esperanto cimo
  • cimoany of various insects of the order Hemiptera and in particular of the suborder Heteroptera
Finnish luteet
  • luteetany of various insects of the order Hemiptera and in particular of the suborder Heteroptera
French hétéroptère
  • hétéroptèreany of various insects of the order Hemiptera and in particular of the suborder Heteroptera
German Wanze
  • Wanzeany of various insects of the order Hemiptera and in particular of the suborder Heteroptera
Hebrew פִּשְׁפֵּשׁ
  • פִּשְׁפֵּשׁ (pishpésh)any of various insects of the order Hemiptera and in particular of the suborder Heteroptera
Norwegian tege
  • tegeany of various insects of the order Hemiptera and in particular of the suborder Heteroptera
Polish pluskwiak
  • pluskwiakany of various insects of the order Hemiptera and in particular of the suborder Heteroptera
Russian клоп
  • клоп (klop)any of various insects of the order Hemiptera and in particular of the suborder Heteroptera
Thai มวน
  • มวน (muuan)any of various insects of the order Hemiptera and in particular of the suborder Heteroptera
Cite this entry
APA

true bug. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/true%20bug

MLA

“true bug.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/true%20bug. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “true bug,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/true%20bug.

Source: true bug on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.