weevil

American  

[wee-vuhl] / ˈwi vəl /

noun

1. Also called snout beetle.  any of numerous beetles of the family Curculionidae, which have the head prolonged into a snout and which are destructive to nuts, grain, fruit, etc.

2. any of numerous related beetles.

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weevil British  

/ ˈwiːvɪl /

noun

1. Also called: snout beetle.  any beetle of the family Curculionidae, having an elongated snout (rostrum): they are pests, feeding on plants and plant products See also boll weevil

2. Also called: pea weevil.   bean weevil.  any of various beetles of the family Bruchidae (or Lariidae ), the larvae of which live in the seeds of leguminous plants

3. any of various similar or related beetles

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• weevily
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of weevil

before 900; Middle English wevel, Old English wifel; cognate with Old High German wibil beetle; akin to wave

Explanation

A weevil is a type of small beetle with a distinctively long snout. Because some species of weevils are famous for destroying large amounts of crops or stored grains, weevils are usually considered pests. There are thousands of weevil species, nearly all of which feed only on plants. These little insects have caused a lot of trouble over the years. In the early 1900s, cotton fields in the South became infested with nonnative boll weevils, which devour cotton buds and flowers. Over the years, weevils have cost farmers billions of dollars in lost crops — and if you've ever been horrified to find tiny bugs in your rice or flour, they were probably weevils. But many weevil species are beneficial to humans, serving as pollinators and weed control.

Example Sentences

They had been described as moth larvae, butterfly larvae, and even weevil larvae.

From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2026

They noted some browning in the slender green shoots of the seedlings, and spotted a beetle-like insect — a weevil — that appeared to be responsible for the damage.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 16, 2023

When the idea of a boll weevil eradication program was floated in Texas in the 1990s, Niemann and others griped about the cost.

From Washington Post • Oct. 7, 2022

So the migration is as much about work and the boll weevil as it is about this notion of opportunity.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2022

Fire ants have been observed picking larvae of the boll weevil off cotton.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson