bug
UK[bʌɡ]US[bʌɡ]
n
a small insect
n
an illness that is not very serious
n
a fault in a machine, especially a computer program
v
to annoy or bother someone
v
to secretly listen to a conversation using a hidden microphone
Etymology
The word 'bug' has a fascinating and somewhat murky etymological journey. It likely entered Middle English as 'bugge', a term for a ghost, hobgoblin, or object of terror, possibly from a Brythonic Celtic source. This sense of something frightening and unseen evolved in the 17th century to refer to bedbugs and other troublesome insects. The modern computing sense of a 'fault' was famously popularized in the 1940s after a moth caused a malfunction in an early computer, though the term was used in engineering contexts earlier. The verb senses, meaning to annoy or to eavesdrop, logically extend from the idea of a persistent, irritating pest or an unseen, intrusive presence.
Analysis
The word 'bug' is a simplex word of uncertain origin, likely from Middle English 'bugge', meaning a frightening specter or hobgoblin. Its functional role is as a complete lexical root.
Examples
A tiny bug was crawling across the kitchen counter.
There's a bug going around the office, so many people are out sick.
The software developers worked late to fix a critical bug before the product launch.