assassin bug

noun — 2 senses

assassin bug

noun

Etymology From assassin + bug.

1

Any true bug from the subfamily Reduviinae of the family Reduviidae, all of which eat other insects. They can inflict a very painful bite, but don't cause disease.

2

Any true bug from any of the subfamilies of the Reduviidae, including those in the subfamily Triatominae, which suck blood and may transmit Chagas' disease to humans.

Derived terms
grass assassin bug

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.