scarab

[ skar-uhb ]

noun
  1. any scarabaeid beetle, especially Scarabaeus sacer, regarded as sacred by the ancient Egyptians.

  2. a representation or image of a beetle, much used among the ancient Egyptians as a symbol, seal, amulet, or the like.

  1. a gem cut to resemble a beetle.

Origin of scarab

1
First recorded in 1570–80; short for scarabaeus

Words Nearby scarab

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use scarab in a sentence

  • After the Christian era the influence of cult of the scarab was still felt.

    Scarabs | Isaac Myer
  • The scarab it must be remembered was in the Egyptian thought, an androgyne.

    Scarabs | Isaac Myer
  • Represented with the head and legs of a man the scarab was an emblem of Ptah.

    Scarabs | Isaac Myer
  • Some figures have the scarab over the head, sometimes in place of the head.

    Scarabs | Isaac Myer
  • It was made oval in the form of the base of the Egyptian scarab.

    Scarabs | Isaac Myer

British Dictionary definitions for scarab

scarab

/ (ˈskærəb) /


noun
  1. any scarabaeid beetle, esp Scarabaeus sacer (sacred scarab), regarded by the ancient Egyptians as divine

  2. the scarab as represented on amulets, etc, of ancient Egypt, or in hieroglyphics as a symbol of the solar deity

Origin of scarab

1
C16: from Latin scarabaeus; probably related to Greek karabos horned beetle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012