ground beetle

noun

any of numerous nocturnal, terrestrial beetles of the family Carabidae that feed chiefly on other insects.

Origin of ground beetle

First recorded in 1840–50

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ground beetle

Historical Examples of ground beetle

Consider the Carabus, or Ground-beetle, that fiery warrior among the insect people.
The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles
Jean Henri Fabre
He afterwards witnessed, in August, a similar emigration of myriads of a kind of ground-beetle (Amara vulgaris,).
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. II (of 4)
William Kirby

British Dictionary definitions for ground beetle

ground beetle

noun

any beetle of the family Carabidae, often found under logs, stones, etc, having long legs and a dark coloration
any beetle of the family Tenebrionidae, feeding on plants and plant products
any of various other beetles that live close to or beneath the ground

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