rhinoceros beetle

noun

any of several scarabaeid beetles, especially of the genus Dynastes, which comprises the largest beetles, characterized by one or more horns on the head and prothorax.

Origin of rhinoceros beetle

First recorded in 1675–85

Also called dynastid.

Words Nearby rhinoceros beetle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rhinoceros beetle in a sentence

This appears to be the case with those of the rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes nasicornis), and according to Gould with those of ants.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4) | William Kirby
This thing, with the ferocious claw-like nose and chin, was a female rhinoceros beetle, so the owner explained.
The Idler Magazine, Volume III, April 1893 | Various
In the woods of this island the large rhinoceros-beetle is very common: it measures above six inches in length.
Wanderings in South America | Charles Waterton
Presently, with a loud hum, a great rhinoceros-beetle dashed into my face.
A Popular Account of the Manners and Customs of India | Charles Acland
A quarter of a mile and they came upon a great, gutted shell which had been a rhinoceros beetle the day before.
The Forgotten Planet | Murray Leinster

British Dictionary definitions for rhinoceros beetle

rhinoceros beetle

noun

any of various scarabaeid beetles having one or more horns on the head, esp Oryctes rhinoceros, a serious pest on coconut plantations

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

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