carpet beetle

American  

noun

1. any of several small beetles of the family Dermestidae, the larvae of which are household pests, feeding on rugs and other woolen fabrics, especially Anthrenus scrophulariae buffalo carpet beetle and Attagenus piceus black carpet beetle.

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carpet beetle British  

noun

1. any of various beetles of the genus Anthrenus, the larvae of which feed on carpets, furnishing fabrics, etc: family Dermestidae

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Etymology

Origin of carpet beetle

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

A shiny dark shuttle squats in the shadows like a carpet beetle, waiting for when it will go into duty in four hundred years.

From Literature

Then there are the carpet beetles that can effectively reverse time, by reverting to younger stages of development when food is scarce.

From The Guardian

Bed bugs can sometimes be confused with carpet beetles and other insects, according to the U.S.

From Fox News

At first, he thought these were the remains of feathers, but a beetle expert steered him right: the fibers were actually the defensive, spiky hairs of prehistoric carpet beetles.

From The Verge

Along with the ticks, the team found microscopic hairs from carpet beetle larvae, creatures that are commonly found in birds’ nests today.

From National Geographic