debug
|de-bug|
/diːˈbʌɡ/
remove faults
Etymology
'debug' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'de-' (meaning 'remove') + 'bug' (meaning 'insect' or 'defect').
'bug' comes from Middle English 'bugge' meaning 'hobgoblin'; later it referred to 'insect' and by the 19th century was used for technical faults; 'debug' was coined in engineering contexts (literal removal of insects) and was later popularized in computing in the mid-20th century.
Initially it could mean 'remove literal insects or pests', but over time it evolved to mean 'remove defects or faults in mechanical, electronic, or computer systems'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an instance or session of debugging; the process of finding and fixing bugs in a system.
The debug took several hours, but the crash was fixed.
Synonyms
Verb 1
to identify, isolate, and remove errors or faults (bugs) from software, hardware, or a system to make it work correctly.
We need to debug the application before the next release.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/09/19 06:56