cockroach
/ˈkɑkɹoʊt͡ʃ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.16 in modern English
22
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A person or a member of a group of people regarded as undesirable and rapidly procreating.
Derogatory; Offensive; Slang
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "I want a divorce, you cockroach!"
- "During the Rwandan genocide, Hutu genocidaires labelled Tutsis as cockroaches and called for their extermination."
Etymology
From Spanish cucaracha, from cuca (“butterfly caterpillars”), of onomatopoeic origin; see also Greek κόκκυξ (kókkux) and Late Latin cucus. Influenced, by means of folk etymology, by cock and roach. Doublet of cucaracha.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈkɑkɹoʊt͡ʃ/
- British English: /ˈkɒkɹəʊt͡ʃ/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
Phrases
amber forest cockroach
amber wood cockroach
American cockroach
Asiatic cockroach
Australian cockroach
Australian wood cockroach
brown-banded cockroach
brown cockroach