beetle

noun

1. 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.
2. (uncountable)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.

   “Guessing competitions were tackled with much enthusiasm, followed by a beetle drive, and judging by the laughter, this was popular with all.”

3. (alt-of)Alternative letter-case form of Beetle (“car”).

   “For quotations using this term, see Citations:beetle.”

4. A type of mallet with a large wooden head, used to drive wedges, beat pavements, etc.
5. A machine in which fabrics are subjected to a hammering process while passing over rollers, as in cotton mills; a beetling machine.
6. (alt-of, archaic)Archaic spelling of betel.

   “Scatter black sand, and offer camphor, sandal, flowers, beetle-leaves, and all sorts of fragrance.”

   “Beetle-leaf is absolutely a primary necessary article of life; every person consumes it daily, especially when travelling; the hindoo of caste has great difficulties in the way of cooking food, which are augmented whenever from home, and the beetle alleviates his hunger.”

   “"It consists of the beetle leaf, in which the piece of an areca-nut is mixed with some lime out of the oyster and muscle shells, and so put into the mouth and chewed. Out of the beetle leaves, during the preparation, the fibres that are hard and rough are first drawn to the leaf; the form of a little horn is then given, open at the bottom, and pointed at the top, which when the areca-nut is inserted is closed, and so chewed."”

7. (Australia, New-Zealand, UK)A small car, the Volkswagen Beetle (original version made 1938–2003, similar models made 1997–2010 and since 2011).

verb

1. To move (away) quickly, to scurry away.

   “He beetled off on his vacation.”

   “I beetled across to our table, but no Pauline, no Mr Cresswell, no Mr Rudyard.”

   ““[…] But he seems to have beetled off somewhere as usual. […]””

   “In the falling darkness Harry saw small collections of lights as they passed over more villages, then a winding road on which a single car was beetling its way home through the hills. …”

   “Her eyes still closed, his aunt smiled cruelly. “I know what you are dying to say, Bertie. Go ahead—take the cheap shot. I’ll squash you like the nasty little bug you are.” ¶ Thus chastened, the little man beetled away.”

2. (ambitransitive)To loom over; to extend or jut (above).

   “The heavy chimney beetled over the thatched roof.”

   “To the dreadful summit of the cliff / That beetles o'er his base into the sea.”

   “Each beetling rampart, and each tower sublime.”

   “I was indeed gently affected, and shared his fears, remembering well the bulging walls of the old house, and the toppling mass of heavy chimney work which beetled over the roof, beneath which these poor doves had made their nest.”

   “He stood a barehead boy upon a cliff / Pine-crowned, that hung high beetling a bleak north sea, / His long bright hair did stream like yellow silk, […]”

3. To beat with a heavy mallet.
4. To finish by subjecting to a hammering process in a beetle or beetling machine.

   “to beetle cotton goods”

adj

1. Protruding, jutting, overhanging.

   “beetle brows”