tumblebug

American

[tuhm-buhl-buhg] / ˈtʌm bəlˌbʌg /

noun

any of several dung beetles that roll balls of dung in which they deposit their eggs and in which the young develop.

Etymology

Origin of tumblebug

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; tumble + bug ¹

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 park says on its Facebook page that the tumblebug is one of the many beetles found in the Smokies that relies on animal scat to complete its life cycle.

From Washington Times • Aug. 27, 2019

It says the female tumblebug will lay only one egg inside each ball of dung, allowing the developing larvae to have all the resources they need without having to compete with their siblings for nourishment.

From Washington Times • Aug. 27, 2019

Atlanta tumblebug, as No. 2 U. S. singles player.

From Time Magazine Archive

Have you ever seen a tumblebug, you know what they roll in .. . those little turds on the ground.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

I could take serious interest in a tumblebug, at times.

From Success A Novel by Adams, Samuel Hopkins

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