アブラムシ

noun

aphid; plant louse

The primary modern meaning. A small sap-sucking insect. Usually written in kana.

• バラの葉はにアブラムシがたくさんついている。

  There are a lot of aphids on the rose leaves.

• アブラムシは植しょく物ぶつの汁しるを吸すう害がい虫ちゅうだ。

  Aphids are pests that suck plant sap.

noun

cockroach

Dialectal (Kansai-ben) meaning. In standard Japanese, ゴキブリ is used.

See also: ゴキブリ

• 関かん西さいではアブラムシと言いえばゴキブリのことだ。

  In Kansai, 'aburamushi' means cockroach.

noun

Japanese house bat

Rare term. Refers to the bat species Pipistrellus abramus. More commonly called 油蝙蝠 (あぶらこうもり).

See also: アブラコウモリ

• 「油あぶら虫むし」は稀まれにアブラコウモリを指さすこともある。

  'Aburamushi' can rarely refer to the Japanese house bat.

noun

hanger-on; parasite (person)

Figurative use, likening a person to a pest that clings and takes advantage. Not a common modern insult.

• 彼かれはいつもたかってくる油あぶら虫むしのようなやつだ。

  He's a parasite who always mooches off others.

noun

looker (in red-light district)

Archaic. A visitor to a red-light district who only looks and does not spend money.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だい、遊ゆう郭かくで遊あそばずに見みるだけの客きゃくを油あぶら虫むしと呼よんだ。

  In the Edo period, a customer who only looked around the pleasure quarters without spending money was called 'aburamushi'.