debug

UK: /diːˈbʌg/ US: /diˈbʌg/ ,(dē bug′)

Inflections of 'debug' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

debugs

v 3rd person singular

debugging

v pres p

debugged

v past

debugged

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

de•bug /diˈbʌg/   v. [ ~ + obj], -bugged, -bug•ging. 

1. Informal Terms to find and remove defects or errors from:
   to debug a computer program.
2. Informal Terms to remove electronic bugs from (a room or building):
   The CIA finally managed to debug the building.
3. to rid of insect pests.

de•bug•ger, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

de•bug  (dē bug′), v.t., -bugged, -bug•ging. [Informal.]

1. Informal Terms to detect and remove defects or errors from.
2. Informal Terms to remove electronic bugs from (a room or building).
3. Computing, Informal Terms to detect and remove errors from (a computer program).
4. Botany, Informal Terms to rid (a garden, plant, etc.) of insect pests, as by the application of a pesticide.

• de- + bug¹ 1940–45

de•bug′ger, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

debug / diːˈbʌɡ/ verb ( -bugs, -bugging, -bugged)(transitive)

1. to locate and remove concealed microphones from (a room, etc)
2. to locate and remove defects in (a device, system, plan, etc)
3. to remove insects from

Etymology: 20th Century: from de- + bug¹