bark beetle

noun

any of numerous small, cylindrical beetles of the family Scolytidae that nest under the bark of hardwood trees, leaving intricate tracings on the wood.

Nearby words

barium thiosulfate, barium titanate, barium x-ray, barium yellow, bark, bark beetle, bark cloth, bark is worse than his bite, bark up the wrong tree, barkeeper, barkentine

Origin of bark beetle

First recorded in 1860–65

Also called ambrosia beetle, engraver beetle.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bark beetle

Absurd, replied the bark-beetle, just sit still and be polite to the gentleman.
The Adventures of Maya the Bee|Waldemar Bonsels
Then he continued: "But I didn't know there was any bark-beetle here."
The Boy With the U. S. Foresters|Francis Rolt-Wheeler
An' when that dead tree is full of bark-beetle, an' there ain't none in the forest, that sure looks suspicious.
The Boy With the U. S. Foresters|Francis Rolt-Wheeler
He can stretch his tongue out ten times my length, cried the bark-beetle, flourishing his arm.
The Adventures of Maya the Bee|Waldemar Bonsels

But I ain't believin' any such perambulatin' spirit for a bark-beetle.
The Boy With the U. S. Foresters|Francis Rolt-Wheeler

British Dictionary definitions for bark beetle

bark beetle

noun

any small beetle of the family Scolytidae, which bore tunnels in the bark and wood of trees, causing great damage. They are closely related to the weevils

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

bark beetle

noun

RELATED CONTENT

Nearby words

Origin of bark beetle

Examples from the Web for bark beetle

British Dictionary definitions for bark beetle

bark beetle

noun