water beetle

noun

: any of numerous oval flattened aquatic beetles (such as a diving beetle or whirligig beetle) that swim by means of their fringed hind legs which act together as oars

Examples of water beetle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Ursula Vernon, aka T. Kingfisher, won the 2023 Hugo for best novel and found inspiration for her acceptance speech in a 2020 study about a species of water beetle that survives being swallowed alive by a frog by escaping through the frog's butt. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 23 Oct. 2023 Tallamy became an entomologist, studying insect behaviors like egg dumping, in which female insects leave their own eggs in another female’s nest, and paternal care, in which male insects such as giant water beetles carry their egg broods on their backs. Emily Underwood, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023 Normally, with 15 hours of daylight, the water beetles are up at the bottom of the ice. John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Apr. 2023 After witnessing his water beetle-tadpole smackdown, Dr. Valdez, too, had written it up as a note. Cara Giaimo, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2020 While that mind-set isn’t ironclad — the giant water beetle pheromone used on the raw oysters ($8 for two) is the real thing imported from Thailand — it’s given form to some unforgettable dishes. Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, 14 Nov. 2019 Like all insects, this edible water beetle contains significant amounts of fiber due to the chitin from their outer skeleton. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 25 Oct. 2019 Spangler named the insect brychius hungerfordi, Hungerford's crawling water beetle, for his instructor at the biological station, entomologist Herbert B. Hungerford. Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 16 July 2019 Inside is a siren over a foot long, surrounded by a carpet of flopping tadpoles and water beetles. Asher Elbein, Washington Post, 18 June 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'water 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

circa 1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of water beetle was circa 1668

Dictionary Entries Near water beetle

Cite this Entry

“Water beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20beetle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

water beetle

noun
: any of numerous oval flattened beetles (as a whirligig beetle) that are found in water and swim by means of their fringed hind legs which act together as oars

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