croton bug Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun small light-brown cockroach brought to United States from Europe; a common household pest
    German cockroach; Blattella germanica; crotonbug; water bug.

WordNet

Cro"ton bug`
Etymology
From the Croton water of New York.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) A small, active, winged species of cockroach (Ectobia Germanica), the water bug. It is common aboard ships, and in houses in cities, esp. in those with hot-water pipes.

Webster 1913