cockroach
noun
cock·roach
ˈkäk-ˌrōch 
: any of an order or suborder (Blattodea synonym Blattaria) of chiefly nocturnal insects including some that are domestic pests compare German cockroach
Examples of cockroach in a Sentence
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Health inspectors shut down the bakery after discovering a total of 29 German cockroaches in various locations, including behind the warewash sink backsplash, below the freezer and on a glue trap beneath the chemical storage rack.
—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2025
Rodent infestation Reopened: May 23 Updates since last week’s list:
Toyo at 676 S. State College Blvd., Suite 103, Anaheim, which was ordered closed May 21 because of a cockroach infestation, was allowed to reopen May 22.
—Ian Wheeler, Oc Register, 31 May 2025
Negan’s been subsisting on a diet of cockroaches and the occasional violin solo, and she’s just been… cool with that?
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 5 May 2025
Around 12,000 years ago, when humans began building large settlements that expanded into cities such as Mesopotamia, the number of bed bugs also increased, the study said, adding that the creatures, which live in furniture and feed off blood, predate rats and cockroaches as domestic pests.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 28 May 2025
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Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2025
Rodent infestation Reopened: May 23 Updates since last week’s list:
Toyo at 676 S. State College Blvd., Suite 103, Anaheim, which was ordered closed May 21 because of a cockroach infestation, was allowed to reopen May 22.
—Ian Wheeler, Oc Register, 31 May 2025
Negan’s been subsisting on a diet of cockroaches and the occasional violin solo, and she’s just been… cool with that?
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 5 May 2025
Around 12,000 years ago, when humans began building large settlements that expanded into cities such as Mesopotamia, the number of bed bugs also increased, the study said, adding that the creatures, which live in furniture and feed off blood, predate rats and cockroaches as domestic pests.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cockroach
Cite this Entry
“Cockroach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cockroach. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cockroach
noun
cock·roach
-ˌrōch
: any of an order of quick-moving insects that have long antennae and leathery forewings, are mainly nocturnal, and include pests of human dwellings
Medical Definition
cockroach
noun
cock·roach
ˈkäk-ˌrōch
: any of an order or suborder (Blattodea synonym Blattaria) of chiefly nocturnal insects including some that are domestic pests see blatta, blattella, periplaneta
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