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Glite Dictionary
🪲 A smelly insect 😒 An annoying person
stinkbug

stinkbug

1 4.4
A small bug that makes a strong bad smell when scared
  • noun
  • /ˈstɪŋkˌbʌg/
  • US
translation icon : chinche apestosa
  • Today, I went into a spare bathroom that I had sealed because a bunch of stinkbugs got in.
  • stinkbugs lay eggs

Examples

  • Treatments that were made last week for stinkbugs appear to be "holding" after rechecking today.

    Blog text (1)

  • Stinkbugs are still avoiding our nets and beat sheets.

    Blog text (1)

  • But evidently it's big news now: stinkbugs have infested Oregon.

    Blog text (3)

  • But it proved only fair for codling moths and variable for stinkbugs.

    Academic text (2000)

  • When I opened the window, a stinkbug flew in and filled the room with its unpleasant odor.

  • We found several stinkbugs hiding under the leaves of the garden plants.

  • The stinkbug emitted a foul smell to scare away the intruders.

Synonyms

bug
vsstinkbug
623 1.0

A small insect like an ant or beetle

is a specific small insect that uses a strong smell to defend itself
stink bug
vsstinkbug
  • US
1 3.5

An insect that gives off a strong bad smell when threatened

is the same meaning but written as one word

How Smelly

skunk
  • US
31 1.0
stinkbug
  • US
1 4.4
fly
327 1.0
butterfly
160 1.0

Surface Forms

stinkbug singular
stinkbugs plural

Morphology

stinkbug = stink + bug (transparent) = stink + bug

Direct compound of 'stink' + 'bug' where the parts straightforwardly describe the insect that emits a strong smell.

Etymology

The word stinkbug is a simple compound of stink ('bad smell') and bug ('insect'), so it literally means a 'smelly insect' that gives off a strong odor to protect itself.