debug
UK[ˌdiːˈbʌɡ]US[ˌdiːˈbʌɡ]
v
To remove the bugs (errors or faults) from a computer program or system.
v
To find and remove concealed listening devices from a place.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
bug
de
remove
bug
fault/insect
Etymology
The word 'debug' is a modern compound formed within the English language. Its first morpheme, the Latin-derived prefix 'de-', carries the sense of removal or reversal. The second element, 'bug,' has a more colorful history, evolving from terms for frightening creatures to its technical slang usage for a malfunction, famously popularized after a moth caused a fault in an early computer. The compound 'debug' thus logically combines to mean "to remove faults," perfectly capturing the process of identifying and eliminating errors from a system, whether software or hardware.
Analysis
Structure: de (remove) + bug (fault/insect)
de: A prefix of Latin origin, meaning "remove" or "reverse."
bug: A word of uncertain origin, likely from Middle English 'bugge' (hobgoblin, scarecrow), used in computing slang from the mid-20th century to mean a defect or fault.
Examples
The programmer spent all night trying to debug the new software module.
Before releasing the update, the team must thoroughly debug the application.
The room was swept by security to debug it before the confidential meeting.