cockroach
nounattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈkɒkɹəʊt͡ʃ//
- United States//ˈkɑkɹoʊt͡ʃ//
- United States//ˈkɑkəɹoʊt͡ʃ//
Any black or brown straight-winged insect of the order Blattodea that is not a termite.
noun
- 1
Any black or brown straight-winged insect of the order Blattodea that is not a termite.
Then there were cockroach hunts; we chased them out of their haunts, where at night they busily devoured currants, jam, and sugar; in fact their diet was far more varied than ours, for they made plentiful meals off our boots, the coverings of our books, and any stray pieces of flannel that came in their way.
- 2
slangTerm of abuse.
I want a divorce, you cockroach!
- 3
slangA person or a member of a group of people regarded as undesirable and rapidly procreating.
During the Rwandan genocide, Hutu genocidaires labelled Tutsis as cockroaches and called for their extermination.
- 4
slangA person from New South Wales.
- 5
obsoleteA hard lump of brown sugar.
Etymology
From Spanish cucaracha, from cuca (“butterfly caterpillars”), of onomatopoeic origin; see also Greek κόκκυξ (kókkux) and Late Latin cucus. Influenced, by means of folk etymology, by cock and roach. Doublet of cucaracha.
Forms
- plural
- cockroaches
cockroach · Any black or brown straight-winged insect of the order Blattodea that is not a termite.
Cocks · A hamlet in Cornwall, England.cocksucker · A very annoying or objectionable person; any contemptible…cocktail · A mixed alcoholic beverage.