bugwire

/ˈbʌɡˌwaɪə/nounVerified New

The informal intelligence network — school gates, office kitchens, group chats — through which households track which illness is going round.

"Something with a fever and a cough" arrives via three unrelated parents before the school notice does. The wire's information is unverified and operationally decisive: it sets playdates, commutes, and weekend plans. Bugwire names the grapevine with symptoms.

Etym. — bug + wire — the bug (illness) riding the wire (informant network).

Novelty check: NEW · checked 2026-11-08

review evidence: wordstoreview/review-batch-3-06-health.md

Evidence log

No query log recorded.

Method: Editorial batch review — per-word exact-form web search (WebSearch/Tavily) per docs/REVIEW-criteria.md §2