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bugger

 - 6 dictionary results

bug⋅ger

1[buhg-er, boog-]
–noun
1. Informal. a fellow or lad (used affectionately or abusively): a cute little bugger.
2. Informal. any object or thing.
3. Often Vulgar. a sodomite.
4. Chiefly British Slang.
a. a despicable or contemptible person, esp. a man.
b. an annoying or troublesome thing, situation, etc.
–verb (used with object)
5. Often Vulgar. to sodomize.
6. Slang. damn: Bugger the cost—I want the best.
7. Chiefly British Slang. to trick, deceive, or take advantage of.
8. bugger off, Chiefly British Slang. to depart; bug off.
9. bugger up, Chiefly British Slang. to ruin; spoil; botch.

Origin:
1300–50; ME bougre < AF bugre < ML Bulgarus heretic, lit., Bulgarian, by assoc. of the Balkans with heretical sects such as the Bogomils and their alleged deviant sexual practices; def. 1 perh. by reanalysis as bug 1 or bug 2 + -er 1 (cf. booger )

bug⋅ger

2[buhg-er]
a person who installs a hidden listening device.

Origin:
1965–70; bug 1 + -er 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To bugger
bug   (bŭg)   
n.  
  1. A true bug.

  2. An insect or similar organism, such as a centipede or an earwig. See Regional Note at lightning bug.

    1. A disease-producing microorganism: a flu bug.

    2. The illness or disease so produced: "stomach flu, a cold, or just some bug going around" (David Smollar).

    3. A defect or difficulty, as in a system or design.

    4. Computer Science A defect in the code or routine of a program.

    1. A defect or difficulty, as in a system or design.

    2. Computer Science A defect in the code or routine of a program.

  3. An enthusiasm or obsession: got bitten by the writing bug.

  4. An enthusiast or devotee; a buff: a model train bug.

  5. An electronic listening device, such as a hidden microphone or wiretap, used in surveillance: planted a bug in the suspect's room.

v.   bugged, bug·ging, bugs

v.   intr.
To grow large; bulge: My eyes bugged when I saw the mess.
v.   tr.
    1. To annoy; pester.

    2. To prey on; worry: a memory that bugged me for years.

  1. To equip (a room or telephone circuit, for example) with a concealed electronic listening device.

  2. To make (the eyes) bulge or grow large.

  3. To leave or quit, usually in a hurry.

  4. To avoid a responsibility or duty. Often used with on or of: bugged out on his partners at the first sign of trouble.

Phrasal Verb(s):
bug off Slang To leave someone alone; go away.
bug out Slang
  1. To leave or quit, usually in a hurry.

  2. To avoid a responsibility or duty. Often used with on or of: bugged out on his partners at the first sign of trouble.


Idiom(s):
put a bug in (someone's) ear Informal To impart useful information to (another) in a subtle, discreet way.

[Origin unknown.]
bug'ger n.
bug·ger 1   (bŭg'ər, bŏŏg'-)   
n.  
  1. Vulgar Slang A sodomite.

  2. Slang A contemptible or disreputable person.

  3. Slang A fellow; a chap: "He's a silly little bugger, then" (John le Carré).

v.   bug·gered, bug·ger·ing, bug·gers Vulgar Slang

v.   intr.
To practice sodomy.
v.   tr.
  1. To practice sodomy with.

  2. To damn.

Phrasal Verb(s):
bugger offChiefly British Slang To leave someone alone; go away.

[Middle English bougre, heretic, from Old French boulgre, from Medieval Latin Bulgarus; see Bulgar.]
bug·ger 2   (bŭg'ər)   
n.  One who installs electronic bugs.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

bugger 
"sodomite," 1555, earlier "heretic" (1340), from M.L. Bulgarus "a Bulgarian" (see Bulgaria), so called from Catholic bigoted notions of the sex lives of Eastern Orthodox Christians or of the sect of heretics that was prominent there 11c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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