chafer

American

[chey-fer] / ˈtʃeɪ fər /

noun

any scarabaeid beetle.

chafer British

/ ˈtʃeɪfə /

noun

any of various scarabaeid beetles, such as the cockchafer and rose chafer

"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

Etymology

Origin of chafer

before 1000; Middle English cheaffer, chaver, Old English ceofor; akin to German Käfer

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The large black chafer beetle, Holotrichia parallela, is an agricultural pest in Asia.

From Science Daily • Jan. 18, 2024

The technical resources and links provided information about the recent influx of the European chafer beetle, whose grubs feed on the roots of your lawn, and how to manage the problem.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 26, 2022

The grubs are the larvae of the European chafer, a nonnative scarab beetle first spotted in Washington state in 2008.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 10, 2021

Wildlife can provide at least a limited check on European chafer populations, Bakker said.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 10, 2021

While hoping that the future will sink the unfortunate "fuller" in oblivion, we will use the term "pine chafer" between ourselves.

From Social Life in the Insect World by Miall, Bernard

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023