Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

doodlebug

/ˈduːdl̩ˌbʌɡ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.73 in modern English

Syllables: doo-dle-bug
IPA: /ˈduːdl̩ˌbʌɡ/

14

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The V-1 flying bomb.

British usage; Informal

noun

An automobile converted into a cheap tractor for a small farm during the Second World War.

noun

An antlion larva (Myrmeleontidae).

noun

A cockchafer (genus Melolontha).

British usage

noun

noun

A term of endearment.

Informal

noun

A slackard or time-waster.

Informal

noun

Informal

Example Sentences

"Soon after Richard was adopted, Orwell's flat was wrecked by a doodlebug."
"Common names for woodlice vary throughout the English-speaking world. They include roly-poly, pill bug (usually applied only to the genus Armadillidium), sow bug, doodle bug, carpenter (Newfoundland),[…] cheesybug (Kent), and cheeselog."

Etymology

From doodle + bug.

Usage

Inflected Forms

doodlebugs (plural)

Derived Forms

doodlebugger

Synonyms

ant lion antlion buzz bomb robot bomb flying bomb v-1

Questions

How do you pronounce doodlebug?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈduːdl̩ˌbʌɡ/.
What does doodlebug mean?: The V-1 flying bomb.
Where does doodlebug come from?: From doodle + bug.

How to pronounce doodlebug

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “doodlebug”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈduːdl̩ˌbʌɡ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “doodlebug”.
Repeat and practice — Say “doodlebug” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.