burying beetle

noun

1. any of various carrion beetles that bury the carcasses of small animals, especially rodents, in which their eggs have been deposited.

burying beetle

noun

1. a beetle of the genus Necrophorous , which buries the dead bodies of small animals by excavating beneath them, using the corpses as food for themselves and their larvae: family Silphidae Also calledsexton

Word History and Origins

Origin of burying beetle¹

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

It was a tiny beetle no more than eight inches long—a burying-beetle.

From Project Gutenberg

Most people have seen the Necrophorus or Burying Beetle working in fields or gardens.

From Project Gutenberg

The following account of the Burying Beetle is given by M. Gleditsch, a foreign naturalist.

From Project Gutenberg

Butterflies, moths, and a burying-beetle especially desired.

From Project Gutenberg

It was a tiny beetle no more than eight inches long—a sexton or burying-beetle.

From Project Gutenberg