Forms: 6–7 buggebeare, 7– bugbear. [App. f. BUG sb.1 + BEAR sb.1]
† 1. A sort of hobgoblin (presumably in the shape of a bear) supposed to devour naughty children; hence, generally, any imaginary being invoked by nurses to frighten children. Obs.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 10 b. Hobgoblines and Buggebeares, with whom we were never acquaynted.
1592. Nashe, P. Penilesse (1842), 74. Meare bugge-beares to scare boyes.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 353. Certain Lamiæ … which like Bug-bears would eat up crying boys.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. xii. 55. In the night time, all places with Larvæ, Lemures, Ghofts of men deceased, and a whole kingdom of Fayries, and Bugbears.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 11, ¶ 9. To tell children of bugbears and goblins.
1842. Barham, Ingol. Leg. (1877), 10. The bugbear behind him is after him still.
2. transf. An object of dread, esp. of needless dread; an imaginary terror.
1580. Sidney, Arcadia, III. 317. At the worst it is but a bugbeare.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, To Rdr. § 2. All that thinke originall sinne a bugbeare.
1717. Kennett, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 430. IV. 306. The king of Sweden is every day a less bugbear to us.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, iii. 14. What have I done to be made a bugbear of?
1872. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. xvii. 51. Confiscation, a word which is so frightful a bugbear to most modern ears.
b. attrib. or as adj.
c. 1600. Timon, I. ii. (1842), 6. Thou shalt not fright me with thye bugbeare wordes.
a. 1734. North, Exam., III. viii. ¶ 25. 601. The most horrible & bug-bear Denunciations.
Hence Bugbeardom, bugbears collectively, needless fears; Bugbearish a.
1800. Southey, in Robberds, Mem. W. Taylor, I. 35/2. Bonaparte … a name now growing more bugbearish than ever.
1862. Mrs. Speid, Last Years Ind., 150. The assaults and tyrannies of bugbeardom.
