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DictionarybeetleInsect
noun

beetle

BEE-tul/ˈbiːtl/

An insect with hard front wings covering its flight wings.

The beetle has six legs and hard wing covers.

A close, three-quarter view of a single ground beetle, showing its rigid paired wing covers, six jointed legs, antennae, and visible biting mandibles.
Etymology
beetleOld Englishbeetle

Old English bitela apparently meant a “little biter” or “biting insect.” The name thus points to the insect's biting mouthparts, rather than its hard wing covers.

In context

This Week in Science (TWIS)11:29
the toughened wing covers so when a beetle flies its wings are oh they open up and they've been hidden by these hard casing covers that are over the beetle's back
Would You Take the Shot?

More examples

  • Several beetles crossed the path.
  • A beetle crawled beneath the leaf.
  • She watched the beetle fly.

Forms

beetle · beetles

Similar words

insect
The broader animal category.
bug
An informal broad label or a different specific insect group.