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bug

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈbəɡ// UK //bˈʌɡ// bug Archaic General-service Informal Slang Technical

n. a small insect or a mistake in a computer program that stops it from working correctly. You also use it to describe a minor illness like a cold.

n. a small insect; an error or flaw in a computer program or system; a minor infectious illness. Informal in most contexts, though technical within software engineering.


SIMPLE

The software update fixed a major bug in the system.

CONTEXTUAL

I missed the meeting because I caught a stomach bug that has been going around the office.

COMPLEX

While the hardware performed flawlessly during the initial stress tests, a subtle logic bug in the firmware caused the entire system to crash under heavy loads.

Synonyms
Origin

From the Slavic hydronym bugъ /buga.

Usage

Commonly used with 'fix', 'find', or 'patch' in a computing context; used with 'catch' or 'get' when referring to illness.

Pitfall

The computer has a big bugThe computer has a major bugWhile 'big' is grammatically correct, 'major' or 'serious' are the standard collocations for significant software errors.

Idioms3 entries

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