tiger beetle

American

noun

any of numerous active, usually brightly colored beetles, of the family Cicindelidae, that prey on other insects.

tiger beetle British

noun

any active predatory beetle of the family Cicindelidae, chiefly of warm dry regions, having powerful mandibles and long legs

"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

Etymology

Origin of tiger beetle

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The 12 diurnal tiger beetle species that the researchers included in the study are evidence of this.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

The proposed water park overlaps with Miami tiger beetle critical habitat, and as recently as 2021, the beetles have lived on the fringes of this property, according to the local nonprofit the Tropical Audubon Society.

From National Geographic • Nov. 28, 2023

Among those making an appearance: the Monarch butterfly, the nine-spotted ladybug, the Puritan tiger beetle, the Hawaiian hammer-headed fruit fly, the Mt.

From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2022

That includes spraying for mosquito control “where feasible” to protect species including the Houston toad and the Miami tiger beetle, according to government documents.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 8, 2022

At certain rotten trunks I was sure to get the curious little tiger beetle, Therates flavilabris.

From The Malay Archipelago, the land of the orang-utan and the bird of paradise; a narrative of travel, with studies of man and nature — Volume 1 by Wallace, Alfred Russel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023