cockroach

B2 Topic:Animals
US /ˈkɑkˌroʊtʃ/ UK /ˈkɒkrəʊtʃ/
noun Freq #11428

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.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a fast-running, usually... roach
Word family
Forms cockroaches
Derived forms cockroachescockroachlikecockroachy
Related forms termiteinsectblattid

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

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