beetle

beetle — noun

1. an insect with six legs and a hard outer back that covers its folded wings

1.nounB1
Definition

an insect with six legs and a hard outer back that covers its folded wings

Example

A bright green beetle landed on Leo's lunch box at school.

collocation: green beetle

Under the rock, the children found a beetle with long legs.

Common collocations
  • green beetle
  • black beetle
  • dead beetle
  • beetle wings
  • beetle under a rock
Synonyms
  • insect

    a broader word; a beetle is one kind of insect

  • bug

    an everyday general word for many small insects

  • ladybug

    a specific small round beetle, not the name for all beetles

Grammar Patterns

a green beetle

find a beetle under a rock

beetles crawl

Usage Note

Usually written with a small b for the insect. Distinguish it from noun/2, the Volkswagen car name, which is often written with a capital B.

Common Mistakes

We found a Beetle under the log.
We found a beetle under the log.
Use lower-case for the insect; capitalized Beetle usually means the car.

2. a small Volkswagen car that is known for its rounded shape

2.nounB2
Definition

a small Volkswagen car that is known for its rounded shape

Example

Emma learned to drive in her father's yellow Beetle.

capitalized model name

A red Beetle was parked outside the bakery all morning.

Common collocations
  • yellow Beetle
  • blue Beetle
  • old Beetle
  • drive a Beetle
  • sell a Beetle
Synonyms
  • car

    much broader; Beetle is one particular car model

  • Volkswagen

    the company name, not the model itself

  • compact car

    describes size and type, not this specific model

Grammar Patterns

drive a Beetle

a blue Beetle

sell a Beetle

Usage Note

Usually written with a capital B when it means the Volkswagen car. Compare noun/1, which names the insect and is normally lower-case.

Common Mistakes

My dad still drives an old beetle.
My dad still drives an old Beetle.
Use a capital B for the Volkswagen car name.

beetle — verb

beetle — adjective

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun/1, beetle names one particular kind of insect, usually one with a hard back that covers its wings. Insect is the broad scientific and everyday category word, so every beetle is an insect, but not every insect is a beetle. Bug is a very general informal word that people often use for almost any small crawling insect, even when it is not exact. Cockroach names a different insect and often suggests a household pest, so it should not replace beetle unless that is the insect you mean. Say A black beetle crawled under the flowerpot, but A cockroach ran across the kitchen floor.

beetle ↗insect ↗bug ↗cockroach

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

Beetle goes back to Old English bitela, and it is probably related to an older Germanic word meaning bite. The insect was likely given this name because of its biting mouthparts. Much later, Beetle also became the name of the rounded Volkswagen car because people thought its shape looked like the insect.