Link Centre Dictionary

beetle

UK/ˈbiːtəl/ US/ˈbiː.təl/ fairly common uk
noun (2) adjective (1) verb (3)

noun

1.

insect having biting mouthparts and front wings modified to form horny covers overlying the membranous rear wings

2.

a tool resembling a hammer but with a large head (usually wooden); used to drive wedges or ram down paving stones or for crushing or beating or flattening or smoothing

Synonyms

adjective

1.

jutting or overhanging

  • “beetle brows”
Synonyms
Similar

verb

1.

be suspended over or hang over

  • “This huge rock beetles over the edge of the town”
Synonyms
2.

fly or go in a manner resembling a beetle

  • “He beetled up the staircase”
  • “They beetled off home”
3.

beat with a beetle

Origin

From Middle English bitle, bityl, bytylle, from Old English bitula, bitela, bītel (“beetle”), from Proto-West Germanic *bitilō, *bītil, from Proto-Germanic *bitilô, *bītilaz (“that which tends to bite, biter, beetle”), equivalent to bite + -le.

Phrases

  • Alexander beetle
  • ambrosia beetle
  • ant beetle
  • ant nest beetle
  • Asian lady beetle
  • Asiatic beetle
  • asparagus beetle
  • Atlas beetle

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.