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kissing bug in British English
noun
a North American assassin bug, Melanolestes picipes, with a painful bite, usually attacking the lips or cheeks of humans
kissing bug in American English
US
conenose
kissing bug in American English
noun
1. informal
a.
a person much given to kissing
b.
an irresistible desire to kiss or be kissed
2.
any of several assassin bugs that attack humans, sometimes inflicting painful bites
Word origin
[1895–1900, Amer.]This word is first recorded in the period 1895–1900. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Marxism, backstage, backwind, freewheel, hit-and-runImage ofkissing bug
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