Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
crotonbug

crotonbug

9.9
A small light brown cockroach that lives in homes and is a pest
  • noun
  • /ˈkroʊtənˌbʌg/
  • Archaic
translation icon : cucaracha croton
  • We found a crotonbug in the kitchen cupboard last night.

Examples

  • The building was infested with crotonbugs, especially near the plumbing.

  • She called the exterminator after spotting several crotonbugs in her apartment.

  • I found a crotonbug in my kitchen last night.

  • The crotonbugs are invading my pantry!

  • She called the exterminator after spotting several crotonbugs in her apartment.

  • The building was infested with crotonbugs, especially near the plumbing.

  • We found a crotonbug in the kitchen cupboard last night.

Synonyms

cockroach
vscrotonbug
140 1.0

A flat brown or black insect that comes out at night and lives in kitchens and houses

is narrower describing a particular small light brown household pest
roach
vscrotonbug
87 1.4

A common brown insect that lives in houses and eats food

gives a specific small light brown species rather than a general group
Croton bug
vscrotonbug
  • US
9.5

A small light brown cockroach that often lives in kitchens and houses

is the same meaning but written differently
water bug
vscrotonbug
  • US
4.8

A small light brown cockroach that lives in houses

is the same concept expressed with another common name
German cockroach
vscrotonbug
4.4

A small light brown cockroach that often lives in kitchens and bathrooms in houses

focuses on the same small pest originally introduced from Europe
Blattella germanica
vscrotonbug
  • Specialized
8.2

A small light-brown cockroach that lives in homes and kitchens

uses the common description rather than the formal scientific name

Surface Forms

crotonbug singular
crotonbugs plural

Morphology

crotonbug = croton + bug (semi-transparent) = croton + bug

Formed by the compound 'croton' + 'bug' so a learner can tell it's a kind of insect related to 'croton', but the specific identity as a small light-brown cockroach (a regional/species name) is specialized and not predictable from the parts alone.

Etymology

Crotonbug can be remembered as croton + bug: croton brings to mind the common houseplant and bug means 'insect', a helpful image because these small light-brown cockroaches were often found on plants and in homes. So a crotonbug today means a small, light-brown household cockroach.