obat nyamuk

Indonesian

Etymology

Compound of obat (“drug, medicine”) +‎ nyamuk (“mosquito”).

Noun

obat nyamuk (first-person possessive obat nyamukku, second-person possessive obat nyamukmu, third-person possessive obat nyamuknya)

1. (literally) fly spray, insecticide.
2. (literally) insect repellent: a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other surfaces which discourages insects (and arthropods in general) from landing or climbing on that surface.
3. (idiomatic) third wheel: an unwanted third party accompanying two people on a date.

Further reading

• “obat nyamuk” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.