mahogany flat
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
A bedbug.
Register: slang
Examples
When ready for sea we went up to Greenhithe, that their lordships might inspect us, and then to Portsmouth, to take troops to Cork, a pleasant trip; but the troops left us a legacy of "mahogany flats," with which their beds were so swarming that we never got them under.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “mahogany flat” mean?
A bedbug.
Is “mahogany flat” formal or informal?
mahogany flat is generally slang.