- to locate and remove concealed microphones from (a room, etc)
- to locate and remove defects in (a device, system, plan, etc)
- to remove insects from
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
de•bug /diˈbʌg/USA pronunciation
v. [ ~ + obj], -bugged, -bug•ging.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Informal Termsto find and remove defects or errors from:to debug a computer program.
- Informal Termsto remove electronic bugs from (a room or building):The CIA finally managed to debug the building.
- to rid of insect pests.
de•bug
(dē bug′),USA pronunciation v.t., -bugged, -bug•ging. [Informal.]
de•bug′ger, n.
- Informal Termsto detect and remove defects or errors from.
- Informal Termsto remove electronic bugs from (a room or building).
- Computing, Informal Termsto detect and remove errors from (a computer program).
- Botany, Informal Termsto rid (a garden, plant, etc.) of insect pests, as by the application of a pesticide.
- de- + bug1 1940–45
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
debug /diːˈbʌɡ/ informal vb ( -bugs, -bugging, -bugged) (transitive)