dung beetle
- any of various scarab beetles that feed on or breed in dung.
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Origin of dung beetle
First recorded in 1625–35
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for dung beetle
Historical Examples of dung beetle
She knew very well he was not a rose-beetle; he was a dung-beetle.
The Adventures of Maya the BeeWaldemar Bonsels
The carbuncle of the Dung-Beetle of the Pampas suggested the question.
The Glow-Worm and Other BeetlesJean Henri Fabre
I know in my neighbourhood one Dung-beetle and one alone who also works among carrion.
The Glow-Worm and Other BeetlesJean Henri Fabre
In the same manner, nothing changes in the art of the Dung-beetle, victualling himself with materials in this mine or that.
The Glow-Worm and Other BeetlesJean Henri Fabre
The square-chined, short-legged Dung-beetle excels in the art of manufacturing gourds.
The Glow-Worm and Other BeetlesJean Henri Fabre
dung beetle
dung chafer
- any of the various beetles of the family Scarabaeidae and related families that feed on or breed in dung
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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