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beetle1

Syllabification: (bee·tle)
Pronunciation: /ˈbētl/
Translate beetle | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of beetle

noun

  • an insect of an order distinguished by forewings typically modified into hard wing cases (elytra) that cover and protect the hind wings and abdomen.

verb

[no object] informal
  • make one’s way hurriedly or with short, quick steps:the tourist beetled off

Origin:

Old English bitula, bitela 'biter', from the base of bītan 'to bite'

beetle in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of beetle in the British & World English dictionary
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