bug

An insect of the order Hemiptera (the “true bugs”).

Any of various species of marine or freshwater crustaceans; e.g. a Morton Bay bug, mudbug.

Any insect, arachnid, or other terrestrial arthropod that is a pest.

“These flies are a bother. I’ll get some bug spray and kill them.”

Any insect, arachnid, myriapod or entognath.

(chiefly computing and engineering jargon) A problem that needs fixing.

“The software bug led the computer to calculate 2 plus 2 as 3.”

A contagious illness; a bacterium or virus causing it

“He’s got the flu bug.”

An enthusiasm for something; an obsession

“I caught the skiing bug while staying in the Alps.”

A keen enthusiast or hobbyist.

A concealed electronic eavesdropping or intercept device

“We installed a bug in her telephone.”

A small and usually invisible file (traditionally a single-pixel image) on a World Wide Web page, primarily used to track users.

“He suspected the image was a Web bug used for determining who was visiting the site.”

A small, usually transparent or translucent image placed in a corner of a television program to indicate what network or cable channel is televising it

“Channel 4's bug distracted Jim from his favorite show.”

A manually positioned marker in flight instruments.

A semi-automated telegraph key.

Hobgoblin, scarecrow; anything that terrifies.

("the bug") HIV.

A limited form of wild card in some variants of poker.

A trilobite.

A young apprentice jockey.

To annoy.

“Don’t bug me, I’m busy!”

To install an electronic listening device or devices in.

“We need to know what’s going on. We’ll bug his house.”

A microfossil, particularly a foraminiferan.