scarab

[ skar-uhb ]

/ ˈskær əb /

Save This Word!

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.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also scarabaeus (for defs. 2, 3).

Origin of scarab

First recorded in 1570–80; short for scarabaeus

Words nearby scarab

scapulary, scapulimancy, scapulo-, scapulohumeral, scar, scarab, scarabaeid, scarabaeoid, scarabaeus, Scaramouch, Scarborough

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

How to use scarab in a sentence

After the Christian era the influence of cult of the scarab was still felt.
Scarabs|Isaac Myer
The scarab it must be remembered was in the Egyptian thought, an androgyne.
Scarabs|Isaac Myer
Represented with the head and legs of a man the scarab was an emblem of Ptah.
Scarabs|Isaac Myer
Some figures have the scarab over the head, sometimes in place of the head.
Scarabs|Isaac Myer

It was made oval in the form of the base of the Egyptian scarab.
Scarabs|Isaac Myer

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