cockroach
English
editEtymology
editFrom Spanish cucaracha, from cuca (“butterfly caterpillars”), of onomatopoeic origin; see also Greek κόκκυξ (kókkux) and Late Latin cucus. Influenced, via folk etymology, by cock and roach. Doublet of cucaracha.
Pronunciation
edit- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkɑkɹoʊt͡ʃ/, (nonstandard) /ˈkɑkəɹoʊt͡ʃ/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkɒkɹəʊt͡ʃ/
Audio (US): (file)
Noun
editcockroach (plural cockroaches)
- A black or brown straight-winged insect of the order Blattodea.
- Synonym: (US) roach
- 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 121:
- 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.
- (slang, offensive) A person or a member of a group of people regarded as undesirable and rapidly procreating.
- (Australia, slang, derogatory, humorous, especially used in rugby league) A person from New South Wales.
- (Australia, slang, obsolete) A hard lump of brown sugar.
Derived terms
edit- amber forest cockroach
- amber wood cockroach
- American cockroach
- Australian cockroach
- cockroachicide
- cockroachlike
- cockroach of the sea
- cockroach taxi
- cockroach theory
- cockroach wasp
- cockroachy
- emerald cockroach wasp
- German cockroach
- giant burrowing cockroach
- Gisborne cockroach
- hissing cockroach
- kikeroach
- Madagascar hissing cockroach
- oriental cockroach
- roach
- Turkroach
Descendants
editTranslations
edittype of insect
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Further reading
editCategories:
- English terms derived from Spanish
- English onomatopoeias
- English doublets
- English 2-syllable words
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- English slang
- English offensive terms
- Australian English
- English derogatory terms
- English humorous terms
- en:Rugby league
- English terms with obsolete senses
- en:Cockroaches