beetle

A beetle.

Meanings

Noun

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Alternate spelling of Beetle
  • A type of mallet with a large wooden head, used to drive wedges, beat pavements, etc.
  • A machine in which fabrics are subjected to a hammering process while passing over rollers, as in cotton mills; a beetling machine.

Verb

  • To move (away) quickly, to scurry away.
  • To loom over; to extend or jut.
  • To beat with a heavy mallet.
  • To finish by subjecting to a hammering process in a beetle or beetling machine.

Adjective

Related

Similar words

Origin

  • From Middle English bitle, bityl, bytylle, from Old English bitula, bitela, bītel, from Proto-Germanic *bitulaz, *bītilaz, equivalent to bite + -le. Cognate with Danish bille ("beetle"), Icelandic bitil, bitul, Faroese bitil ("small piece, bittock").
  • From Middle English bitel-brouwed ("beetle-browed"). Possibly after beetle, from the fact that some beetles have bushy antennae.
  • From Middle English betel, from Old English bīetel, akin to bēatan.

Modern English dictionary

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