beetle Meaning & Definition
What Does Beetle Mean?
Beetle is a noun that means 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. It can also mean 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. As a verb, it means To move (away) quickly, to scurry away. As an adjective, it means Protruding, jutting, overhanging.
Word Facts for Beetle
| Part of speech | noun, verb, adjective |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbiːtəl/ |
| Synonyms | overhang, protrusive and beetling |
| Plural | beetles |
| Comparative / superlative | more beetle, most beetle |
| Verb forms | beetles, beetling, beetled |
Beetle Definition (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.
- Alternative letter-case form of Beetle (“car”).
Beetle as a Verb
- To move (away) quickly, to scurry away.
He beetled off on his vacation.
Beetle as an Adjective
- Protruding, jutting, overhanging.
beetle brows
Verb
- To loom over; to extend or jut (above).
The heavy chimney beetled over the thatched roof.
Noun
- 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 beat with a heavy mallet.
- To finish by subjecting to a hammering process in a beetle or beetling machine.
to beetle cotton goods
Noun
- Obsolete spelling of betel.
Noun
- A small car, the Volkswagen Beetle (original version made 1938–2003, similar models made 1997–2010 and since 2011)
Verb
- To loom over; to extend or jut.
The heavy chimney beetled over the thatched roof.
Adjective
- Protruding, jutting, overhanging. (As in beetle brows.)
Synonyms of Beetle
Beetle synonyms and antonyms →Beetle in a Sentence
He beetled off on his vacation.
beetle brows
The heavy chimney beetled over the thatched roof.
to beetle cotton goods
Word Forms & Grammar
beetle (plural beetles)
beetle (third-person singular simple present beetles, present participle beetling, simple past and past participle beetled)
beetle (comparative more beetle, superlative most beetle)
Words That Rhyme With Beetle
Origin of Beetle
Origin 1: 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”).
Origin 2: From Middle English bitel-brouwed (“beetle-browed”). Possibly after beetle, from the fact that some beetles have bushy antennae.
Origin 3: From Middle English betel, from Old English bȳtel, bīetel (“hammer”), from Proto-West Germanic *bautil (“hammer, mallet”), equivalent to beat + -le. Cognate with Low German Bötel (“mallet”).
Origin 4: Borrowed from Portuguese bétele, from Malayalam വെറ്റില (veṟṟila) or Tamil வெற்றிலை (veṟṟilai).
Quick Answers About Beetle
Is beetle a noun or a verb?
Beetle is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb and an adjective.
What is another word for beetle?
Words with a similar meaning to beetle include overhang, protrusive and beetling. See the full list of beetle synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of beetle?
The plural of beetle is beetles.
What is the past tense of beetle?
The past tense of beetle is beetled. The present participle is beetling.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of beetle?
The comparative form is more beetle and the superlative form is most beetle.