doodlebug
|doo-dle-bug|
🇺🇸
/ˈduːdəlˌbʌɡ/
🇬🇧
/ˈduːd(ə)lbʌɡ/
small, troublesome creature/thing
Etymology
'doodlebug' originates from English, specifically the compound of the words 'doodle' and 'bug', where 'doodle' originally referred to idle drawing or a simpleton and 'bug' (from Middle English 'bugge') meant 'insect' or 'something that causes alarm.'
'doodlebug' was first applied in American English to the antlion larva (for its association with small pits and 'bug'-like appearance) and later, in the 20th century, the term was extended in colloquial usage to refer to the V-1 flying bomb because of its buzzing sound and insect-like behavior.
Initially, it meant 'the larva of an antlion'; over time it broadened to include 'a buzzing flying bomb (V-1)' and informal, affectionate senses such as a term for a small child or pet.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the larva of an antlion (a small predatory insect), known for making conical pits to trap ants and other insects.
Children found a doodlebug hiding in the sand and watched it make a pit.
Synonyms
Noun 2
informal name for the German V-1 flying bomb of World War II (also called a 'buzz bomb' or 'flying bomb').
The town was repeatedly attacked by doodlebugs during the war.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/28 15:16