bug
bug
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "bug" is /bʌɡ/.
First Syllable:
/b/ - voiced bilabial plosive
/ʌ/ - near-open near-front unrounded vowel
/ɡ/ - voiced velar plosive
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: bug
Plural Noun: bugs
Present Tense Verb (3rd person singular): bugs
Present Participle/Gerund: bugging
Past Tense Verb: bugged
Past Participle: bugged
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A small, often six-legged invertebrate animal, especially an insect.
Synonyms: insect, creepy-crawly, critter (informal)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for this specific meaning, as it refers to a type of animal.)
Definition 2: A hidden listening device; a miniature microphone used for surreptitious eavesdropping.
Synonyms: wire, tap, listening device, surveillance device
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; the concept is about covert listening.)
Definition 3: A defect or error in a machine, computer program, or system.
Synonyms: glitch, fault, error, flaw, defect, malfunction
Antonyms: fix, patch, solution, improvement
Definition 4: An obsessive enthusiasm or hobby; a strong liking for something.
Synonyms: craze, obsession, passion, fascination, mania, fixation
Antonyms: dislike, aversion, indifference, apathy
Verb
Definition 1: To annoy or irritate someone.
Synonyms: bother, pester, irritate, annoy, vex, nettle, irk
Antonyms: please, soothe, calm, appease, delight
Definition 2: To install a hidden listening device in a place or on a person.
Synonyms: wiretap, tap, surveil, eavesdrop on
Antonyms: unbug (informal, used to remove a bug), debug (in the context of removing errors, not listening devices)
Definition 3: To perform poorly or malfunction due to an internal error or defect (often used impersonally, e.g., "The system bugged out").
Synonyms: malfunction, glitch, crash, fail, err
Antonyms: work, function, operate, succeed
Adjective
Definition 1 (informal): Feeling unwell or slightly ill.
Synonyms: ill, sick, unwell, under the weather, indisposed
Antonyms: well, healthy, fine, fit
Examples of Use
Books:
"There was a tiny bug crawling across the page of her open book, its delicate legs tracing an unseen path." (From The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, originally published 1911)
"Every programmer knows that a single bug can bring down an entire system, no matter how robust it seems." (From Code Complete by Steve McConnell, published 1993)
Newspapers:
"Scientists are tracking a new species of bug that poses a threat to local crops." (From an article in The Daily Nation)
"A software bug caused significant delays in the online voting system during yesterday's elections." (From an article in The New York Times)
Online Publications:
"The latest update to the popular app aims to fix a persistent bug that was causing frequent crashes for users." (From TechCrunch)
"Having a travel bug isn't just about wanting to see new places; it's a deep-seated need to explore and experience different cultures." (From an article on Lonely Planet)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television Show Dialogue: "Don't bug me, I'm trying to concentrate!" (Heard in an episode of The Office, October 2007)
Video Game: "The developers released a patch to address a game-breaking bug discovered by players." (Describing an update for Cyberpunk 2077, December 2020)
Movie Dialogue: "They've got the whole place bugged; we need to whisper." (Heard in the film The Conversation, April 1974)
Music Lyric: "Caught the love bug and I can't shake it off." (From the song "Love Bug" by George Jones, released 1965)
General Public Discourse:
"My computer's been acting really weird lately, I think it has a bug." (Casual conversation among friends)
"Don't let him bug you; just ignore him." (Advice given to a child by a parent)
"I've really got the running bug now; I can't wait for my next marathon." (Statement made by an enthusiastic runner)
"I got bitten by some kind of bug while gardening, and now my arm is all swollen." (Someone complaining about an insect bite)
10 Quotes Using Bug
"A computer bug is never a bug at all, it is just a feature." (Linus Torvalds)
"A bug in the program is worth two in the documentation." (Attributed to various sources, often in programming circles)
"Sometimes a little bug will come out of the computer and chew on your leg." (Attributed to Alan Perlis)
"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. It's a bug." (Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court)
"When a system has a bug, it's usually because the designer or programmer made an incorrect assumption." (Gerald Weinberg)
"If architects built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, the first woodpecker to come along would destroy civilization." (Attributed to Gerald Weinberg, often paraphrased as referring to a "single bug")
"I knew I had to make a change when I got the acting bug." (Rami Malek)
"My biggest fear, honestly, is that I'm going to get some kind of a bug while I'm traveling and not be able to do my show." (Carrie Underwood)
"The biggest bug in my life is that I'm not a morning person." (Original)
"If you find a bug, fix it." (Often attributed to open-source software philosophy)
Etymology
The word "bug" has a really interesting history with a few different paths that eventually led to its many modern meanings.
It seems the earliest known use of "bug" was in Middle English, sometime before 1425. At that time, it didn't mean an insect at all! Instead, it was used to mean "something frightening," "a scarecrow," or "an imaginary evil spirit/goblin." Think of it like the roots of words such as "bugbear" or "bogeyman," which are still used today to describe things that cause fear or irritation. This original sense of "bug" probably came from older words in various Germanic and Celtic languages that also referred to goblins or spooky creatures.
Later on, around the 17th century (early 1600s), "bug" started being used to refer to insects, specifically the unpleasant ones like "bedbugs." It's thought that this meaning came about because insects, especially those that bite or infest, can be irritating or even "frightening" in a small way, connecting back to the earlier meaning of something causing dread. So, the idea of something small and annoying linked these two very different concepts.
The meaning of "bug" as a defect or error in a machine or system came much later. While the famous story of Grace Hopper finding a moth (a literal "bug") in a computer in 1947 helped popularize the term in computing, the use of "bug" to mean a fault in machinery actually goes back further. Thomas Edison used the word in his notes in the late 1800s to describe "little faults and difficulties" in his inventions. So, even before computers, engineers were already using "bug" to refer to problems that needed to be fixed.
Finally, the meaning of "bug" as something that annoys or irritates someone likely developed from the insect meaning, as insects are often bothersome pests. And the idea of having a "bug" (like a "travel bug") for an obsession or strong interest is a more recent, informal extension of the word.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Bug
As snug as a bug in a rug: Very cozy and comfortable.
To bug out: To leave quickly; to escape.
To put a bug in someone's ear: To give someone an idea or a hint, often discreetly.
To bug someone: To annoy or bother someone persistently.
The love bug: The feeling of being in love.
The travel bug: A strong desire or urge to travel.
To get a bug (as in illness): To become sick with a minor illness, often a virus.
A computer bug: A defect or error in a computer program or system.
Bug-eyed: Having eyes that bulge out, often due to surprise or fear.
What's bugging you?: What is bothering or annoying you?
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of bug from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
