tiger beetle

noun

: any of numerous active carnivorous beetles (family Cicindelidae) having larvae that tunnel in the soil

Examples of tiger beetle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Half a century later, Tallamy is alarmed by the loss of insect abundance and diversity on nearly every continent, from butterflies and bumblebees to tiger beetles and aquatic insects such as stone flies. Emily Underwood, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023 But uniquely, the tiger beetle usually rolls uphill. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2011 The beaches are home to the beautiful coastal tiger beetle (Cicindela dorsalis media). Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2011 The Nogahabara is also home to the sandy tiger beetle and the Alaska tiny shrew, which are both found almost nowhere else in the state. Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Sep. 2022 When an ant colony went hunting small insects on a dry river bed in Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal, India, a tiger beetle began to pick off some of the ants. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2020 The ants are outpaced only by a few invertebrates, including a mite from California, Paratarsotomus macropalpis, and an Australian tiger beetle, Cicindela hudsoni, which can move at speeds of 377 and 171 body lengths per second, respectively. Jake Buehler, National Geographic, 16 Oct. 2019 This is the only home of the coral pink sand dunes tiger beetle, distinguished by a metallic back stripe that flashes rose gold. National Geographic, 23 Jan. 2020 The Saharan silver ant is third among fastest creatures on Earth, behind Australian tiger beetles and California coastal mites, at 171 body lengths per second and 377 body lengths per second, respectively. Fox News, 18 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tiger beetle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tiger beetle was in 1826

Dictionary Entries Near tiger beetle

Cite this Entry

“Tiger beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiger%20beetle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tiger beetle

noun
: any of numerous active beetles with strong jaws that eat other insects, have larvae which build tunnels in the soil, and include some capable of giving a painful bite

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