English Explanatory Dictionary

beetle

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any of numerous species of insect in the order Coleoptera characterized by a pair of hard, shell-like front wings which cover and protect a pair of rear wings when at rest.
  2. A game of chance in which players attempt to complete a drawing of a beetle, different dice rolls allowing them to add the various body parts.
  3. Alternative letter-case form of Beetle (“car”).
verb
  1. To move (away) quickly, to scurry away.
adj
  1. Protruding, jutting, overhanging.
verb
  1. To loom over; to extend or jut (above).
noun
  1. A type of mallet with a large wooden head, used to drive wedges, beat pavements, etc.
  2. A machine in which fabrics are subjected to a hammering process while passing over rollers, as in cotton mills; a beetling machine.
verb
  1. To beat with a heavy mallet.
  2. To finish by subjecting to a hammering process in a beetle or beetling machine.
noun
  1. Archaic spelling of betel.
noun
  1. A small car, the Volkswagen Beetle (original version made 1938–2003, similar models made 1997–2010 and since 2011).

Pronunciation

/ˈbiːtəl/ [ˈbɪi̯tʰəl] ~ [ˈbɪi̯tʰl̩] /ˈbiɾəl/ [ˈbɪi̯ɾəl] ~ [ˈbɪi̯ɾl̩] en-us-beetle.ogg /ˈbiʔəl/ [ˈbɪi̯ʔəl] ~ [ˈbɪi̯ʔl̩] LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Beetle.wav

Word forms

beetle beetles bittle betel bittil beetling beetled more beetle most beetle

Etymology

From Middle English bitle, bityl, bytylle, from Old English bitula, bitela, bītel (“beetle”), from Proto-West Germanic *bitilō, *bītil, from Proto-Germanic *bitilô, *bītilaz (“that which tends to bite, biter, beetle”), equivalent to bite + -le. Cognate with Old High German bicco (“beetle”), Danish bille (“beetle”), Icelandic bitil, bitul (“a bite, bit”), Faroese bitil (“small piece, bittock”).

Synonyms

bug

Related words

bug chafer firefly ladybird scarab

Derived words

Alexander beetle ambrosia beetle ant beetle ant nest beetle Asian lady beetle Asiatic beetle asparagus beetle Atlas beetle bacon beetle bark beetle Beatles bee beetle beetle bank beetlebrain beetle brow beetle-browed beetle bug beetle-crusher beetle drive beetle grass beetlehead beetle-headed beetlelike beetle mite beetler beetleskin beetle-squasher beetle-sticker beetleweed beetly Bess beetle Betsy beetle bill-beetle biscuit beetle black beetle black carpet beetle blind as a beetle blister beetle bloody-nosed beetle blue ground beetle bombardier beetle bread beetle burying beetle cactus longhorn beetle cadelle beetle cane beetle capricorn beetle cardinal beetle Carolina metallic tiger beetle Carolina tiger beetle carpet beetle carrion beetle carrot beetle cedar beetle cereal leaf beetle Christmas beetle cigar beetle cigarette beetle click beetle clown beetle
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