cockroach — English Dictionary

Noun

1. Any black or brown straight-winged insect of the order Blattodea that is not a termite.

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   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.

2. Term of abuse.

   Usage

   • Derogatory
   • Slang

   Synonyms

   roachscum

   Examples

   I want a divorce, you cockroach!

3. A person or a member of a group of people regarded as undesirable and rapidly procreating.

   Usage

   • Derogatory
   • Offensive
   • Slang

   Examples

   During the Rwandan genocide, Hutu genocidaires labelled Tutsis as cockroaches and called for their extermination.

4. A person from New South Wales.

   Usage

   • Australia
   • Derogatory
   • especially
   • Humorous
   • Slang
   • used in rugby league

5. A hard lump of brown sugar.

   Usage

   • Australia
   • Obsolete
   • Slang

Noun

1. any of numerous chiefly nocturnal insects; some are domestic pests

   Synonyms

   roach

   Broader terms

   dictyopterous insect