Bugs
/bʌɡz/
nounverbA2plural (for noun), third person singular present (for verb)
Definition
As a noun, "bugs" means small insects like ants or flies. It can also mean small problems or errors in machines, especially computers. As a verb, "to bug" means to annoy or bother someone by causing trouble or asking many questions.
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See It in Action
Small insects
- •There are many bugs in the garden during summer.
- •She found bugs crawling on the leaves.
- •Bugs like ants and beetles live under the rocks.
Small problems or errors in machines or software
- •The computer has bugs that make it slow.
- •Programmers work hard to fix bugs in the app.
- •There was a bug in the game that caused it to crash.
To annoy or bother someone (verb)
- •Please stop bugging me while I study.
- •He bugs his sister by taking her toys.
- •The noise bugs me when I try to sleep.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "bugs" like "insects" (A1 word), but usually smaller or more annoying ones.
- ✓Picture tiny insects crawling on plants or a computer screen showing an error message.
- ✓It's the feeling when something small causes big trouble, like a tiny mosquito biting you.
- ✓Sounds like "bugs" → imagine little creatures that sneak around and cause small problems.
- ✓Remember cartoons where a character gets annoyed by a buzzing fly—that's "bugs" as both insect and annoyance.
- ✓NOT like "animals" (big, many types), "bugs" are very small creatures or small problems.
- ✓NOT like "fix" (to solve), "bugs" are the problems you want to fix.
- ✓As a verb, NOT like "help," but "bug" means to bother or annoy someone.
Try Other Words
- •Insects: small animals with six legs (Use when talking about real animals in nature)
- •Problems: difficulties or mistakes (Use when talking about errors in machines or software)
- •Annoy: to bother or disturb (Use when talking about bothering a person)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "bug" (root word), "s" (makes plural or third person present tense)
- •Etymology: Old English "bugge" meaning frightening thing or insect
- •Historical development: Originally meant scary creatures or ghosts, then changed to mean insects and later small problems in machines
- •Modern usage: Used for insects, small technical errors, or to describe bothering someone
Reflect & Connect
•How do you feel when small bugs bother you in nature or at home?
•Can small bugs (problems) in a computer cause big issues? How do you fix them?
Fill in the blanks
1.Bugs in the garden ___ many plants during summer because they eat the leaves.
2.The programmer found bugs in the software that ___ the game to stop working.
3.When my little brother keeps asking questions, he really ___ me.
4.Bugs are different from big animals because they are very ___ and often annoying.
5.She saw bugs ___ on the window and tried to catch them.
6.The computer crashed because of a bug that ___ in the system.
7.If something bugs you, it usually makes you feel ___ or uncomfortable.