A small, flat, reddish-brown insect that hides in beds and furniture and feeds on human blood, causing itchy bites.
Compound word from 'bed' and 'bug' (from Middle English 'bugge,' possibly from Welsh 'bwbach' meaning goblin—bugs were thought of as mysterious creatures). The term specifically describes bedbugs because of their habit of infesting sleeping areas.
Bedbugs were nearly eradicated in developed countries by the 1950s thanks to DDT, but they've made a dramatic comeback since the 1990s partly because of insecticide resistance and increased international travel—they're a reminder that even tiny organisms can adapt and thrive.
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