tumblebug

[tuhm-buh l-buhg]

noun

any of several dung beetles that roll balls of dung in which they deposit their eggs and in which the young develop.

Origin of tumblebug

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; tumble + bug¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for tumblebug

Historical Examples of tumblebug

Yet I'm always gay and snug, happy as a tumblebug, having still the best of times, grinding out my blame fool rhymes!
Uncle Walt [Walt Mason]
Walt Mason
It was only a tumblebug, but he shrank from putting foot on any living thing.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 14
Elbert Hubbard