cockroach UK /ˈkɒkɹəʊt͡ʃ/US /ˈkɑkɹoʊt͡ʃ/ noun5 •Any black or brown straight-winged insect of the order Blattodea that is not a termite. •(slang, offensive) Term of abuse.I want a divorce, you cockroach! •(slang, offensive) A person or a member of a group of people regarded as undesirable and rapidly procreating.During the Rwandan genocide, Hutu genocidaires labelled Tutsis as cockroaches and called for their extermination. •(slang, disapproving) A person from New South Wales. •(slang, no longer used) A hard lump of brown sugar. formscockroaches