beetle

[ beet-l ]

/ ˈbit l /

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See synonyms for: beetle / beetled / beetles / beetling on Thesaurus.com

noun

any of numerous insects of the order Coleoptera, characterized by hard, horny forewings that cover and protect the membranous flight wings.

(loosely) any of various insects resembling the beetle, as a cockroach.

verb (used without object), bee·tled, bee·tling.

Chiefly British. to move quickly; scurry: He beetled off to catch the train.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of beetle

First recorded before 900; late Middle English bit(t)il, betylle, bityl, Old English bitel(a), betl, derivative of bītan bite

Words nearby beetle

beet, beet armyworm, beetfly, Beethoven, Beethoven, Ludwig van, beetle, beet leafhopper, beetle-browed, beetlebung, beetle drive, beetlehead

Other definitions for beetle (2 of 3)

beetle²

[ beet-l ]

/ ˈbit l /

noun

a heavy hammering or ramming instrument, usually of wood, used to drive wedges, force down paving stones, compress loose earth, etc.

any of various wooden instruments for beating linen, mashing potatoes, etc.

verb (used with object), bee·tled, bee·tling.

to use a beetle on; drive, ram, beat, or crush with a beetle.

to finish (cloth) with a beetling machine.

Origin of beetle

First recorded before 900; Middle English betel, bitille “mallet, hammer,” Old English bītel, bētel, bȳtel (cognate with Middle Low German bētel “chisel”), derivative of bē(a)tan beat

OTHER WORDS FROM beetle

beetler, noun

Other definitions for beetle (3 of 3)

beetle³

[ beet-l ]

/ ˈbit l /

adjective

projecting; overhanging: beetle brows.

verb (used without object), bee·tled, bee·tling.

to project; jut out; overhang: a cliff that beetles over the sea; his mustache and beetling brows; thick eyebrows beetling over blue eyes.

to hang or tower over in a threatening or menacing manner: The prospect of bankruptcy beetled over him.

Origin of beetle

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; back formation from beetle-browed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use beetle in a sentence

Examples include some beetles and rainforest kangaroos called pademelons.
Please do not touch the Australian stinging tree|Rebecca E. Hirsch|November 25, 2020|Science News For Students
The diabolical ironclad beetle is like a tiny tank on six legs.
The diabolical ironclad beetle is nearly unsquishable|Maria Temming|November 23, 2020|Science News For Students
Near the back of the beetle, the ridges are not as tightly interlocked.
The diabolical ironclad beetle is nearly unsquishable|Maria Temming|November 23, 2020|Science News For Students
He writes of the beetles that save mimosa trees in Houston, his daughter’s death at age 38 and greeting “small nervous birds” in walks along the sea.
Eighty years of memories that will stir readers’ own|Connie Schultz|November 20, 2020|Washington Post

Last weekend, China’s customs agency banned imports of timber from Queensland, claiming it had found a beetle infestation in one shipment.
China is ramping up its other big trade war|eamonbarrett|November 4, 2020|Fortune
Blister rust is like having the flu; the pine beetle is like fast acting leukemia.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 2007, FWS reported that the beetle outbreak had affected only 16 percent of the whitebark pines.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Beetle was launched with a series of television commercials unlike any before them.
Nationalism on Four Wheels|Clive Irving|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Who could turn down a seaside drive in a bright yellow Beetle?
World-Famous Architects Design Dollhouses For New Charity Project|Chloë Ashby|November 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The rhino beetle—fried, stewed, grilled, or roasted—is high in calcium and protein.
Cicadas, Grasshoppers, Locusts, Ants Among the Tastiest Insects|Nina Strochlic|May 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Her feet crush creeping things: there is a busy ant or blazoned beetle, with its back broken, writhing in the dust, unseen.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
But strangest of all the dishes at the Tagal's feast was one prepared from a kind of beetle.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
Then the juice would fill up the hole the beetle had made, and the tree would go on growing as before.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
There was a toy balloon, a beetle that ran all over the room in a life-like manner, a jumping jack, and some popcorn balls.
The Story of the Big Front Door|Mary Finley Leonard
Old Mr. Ford declared he had not laughed so much in twenty years as he did at the antics of the boys and the beetle.
The Story of the Big Front Door|Mary Finley Leonard

British Dictionary definitions for beetle (1 of 3)

beetle¹

/ (ˈbiːtəl) /

noun

any insect of the order Coleoptera, having biting mouthparts and forewings modified to form shell-like protective elytraRelated adjective: coleopteran

a game played with dice in which the players draw or assemble a beetle-shaped form

verb (intr ; foll by along, off, etc)

informal to scuttle or scurry; hurry

Word Origin for beetle

Old English bitela; related to bitol teeth, bit, bītan to bite

British Dictionary definitions for beetle (2 of 3)

beetle²

/ (ˈbiːtəl) /

noun

a heavy hand tool, usually made of wood, used for ramming, pounding, or beating

a machine used to finish cloth by stamping it with wooden hammers

verb (tr)

to beat or pound with a beetle

to finish (cloth) by means of a beetle

Word Origin for beetle

Old English bīetel, from bēatan to beat; related to Middle Low German bētel chisel, Old Norse beytill penis

British Dictionary definitions for beetle (3 of 3)

beetle³

/ (ˈbiːtəl) /

verb

(intr) to overhang; jut

adjective

overhanging; prominent

Derived forms of beetle

beetling, adjective

Word Origin for beetle

C14: perhaps related to beetle 1

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

beetle

Origin of beetle

Words nearby beetle

Other definitions for beetle (2 of 3)

Origin of beetle

OTHER WORDS FROM beetle

Other definitions for beetle (3 of 3)

Origin of beetle

Words related to beetle

How to use beetle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for beetle (1 of 3)

Word Origin for beetle

British Dictionary definitions for beetle (2 of 3)

Word Origin for beetle

British Dictionary definitions for beetle (3 of 3)

Derived forms of beetle

Word Origin for beetle