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scarab

[ skar-uhb ]
/ ˈskær əb /
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noun

any scarabaeid beetle, especially Scarabaeus sacer, regarded as sacred by the ancient Egyptians.
a representation or image of a beetle, much used among the ancient Egyptians as a symbol, seal, amulet, or the like.
a gem cut to resemble a beetle.

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Also scarabaeus (for defs. 2, 3).

Origin of scarab

First recorded in 1570–80; short for scarabaeus

Words nearby scarab

scapulocostal syndrome, scapulohumeral, scapulopexy, scapus, scar, scarab, scarabaeid, scarabaeoid, scarabaeus, Scaramouch, Scarborough
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for scarab

British Dictionary definitions for scarab

scarab
/ (ˈskærəb) /

noun

any scarabaeid beetle, esp Scarabaeus sacer (sacred scarab), regarded by the ancient Egyptians as divine
the scarab as represented on amulets, etc, of ancient Egypt, or in hieroglyphics as a symbol of the solar deity

Word Origin for scarab

C16: from Latin scarabaeus; probably related to Greek karabos horned beetle
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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