Noun: bugbear 'búg,behr
- An object of dread or apprehension
"Germany was always a bugbear for France";
- hobgoblin
- An imaginary monster used to frighten children
"The child refused to sleep, fearing the bugbear in the closet";
- bogeyman, bugaboo [N. Amer], boogeyman [US], booger [N. Amer, informal], bogyman
Derived forms: bugbears
Encyclopedia: Bugbear