Japanese beetle

Save This Word!

noun

a small beetle, Popillia japonica, of the scarab family, introduced into the eastern U.S. from Japan, the adult of which feeds on the foliage of fruit and other trees, and the larva of which feeds on plant roots.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Japanese beetle

First recorded in 1915–20

Words nearby Japanese beetle

Japanese anemone, Japanese arborvitae, Japanese artichoke, Japanese barberry, Japanese basil, Japanese beetle, Japanese B encephalitis, Japanese B encephalitis virus, Japanese black pine, Japanese cedar, Japanese Chin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Japanese beetle in a sentence

But I think Steve Austin has to team up with a Japanese holdout to stop a nuclear bomb from going off or something.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Wrapees was the term marines used for the Japanese because they had wrapping round their legs.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Finally free of Japanese interference, Korea elected its first autonomous government in almost half a century.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Indeed, the Japanese-owned corporation has set a horrible precedent.
Kim Jong Un, Avert Your Eyes: Sony’s ‘The Interview’ Gets the Porn Parody Treatment|Aurora Snow|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Branch grew up in Queens, NY, the daughter of an African American man and a Japanese woman.
Goodbye To A Natural Hair Guru: Miss Jessie's Cofounder Titi Branch Dead At 45|Danielle Belton|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This vessel, loaded with supplies, went ashore and was lost; and one hundred and twenty Japanese and three Dutchmen were drowned.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Undesirable inhabitants of the country are being sent away, especially the Japanese, who are more dangerous than the Chinese.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Among the Japanese who are in the islands there are more than one thousand five hundred Christians.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
I think that there has been neglect and laxity in the matter of not driving out the Japanese.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
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

British Dictionary definitions for Japanese beetle

Japanese beetle

noun

a scarabaeid beetle, Popillia japonica, that eats the leaves and fruits of various plants: accidentally introduced into the US from Japan

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