cockroach

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a fast-running, usually flattened insect of the order Blattodea, several species of which are common household pests

   A cockroach darted beneath the refrigerator when the kitchen light came on.

Simplified etymology

Cockroach entered English in the early 17th century as an altered form of Spanish cucaracha. English speakers reshaped the unfamiliar Spanish word to resemble the familiar words cock and roach, a process known as folk etymology.

An English alteration of Spanish cucaracha, reshaped in the seventeenth century under the influence of the familiar words cock and roach. The insect is unrelated to either a male chicken or the fish called a roach.

Topics

External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
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