whirligig beetle
noun
: any of a family (Gyrinidae) of beetles with two pairs of eyes and clubbed antennae that live mostly on the surface of water where they swim swiftly about in circles
Examples of whirligig beetle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Consider whirligig beetles, which Eisner and Dr. Meinwald studied in the early 1970s.
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Kenneth Chang, BostonGlobe.com, 16 May 2018
Consider whirligig beetles, which Dr. Eisner and Dr. Meinwald studied in the early 1970s.
—Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 14 May 2018
Kenneth Chang, BostonGlobe.com, 16 May 2018
Consider whirligig beetles, which Dr. Eisner and Dr. Meinwald studied in the early 1970s.
—Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 14 May 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whirligig 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
1855, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Whirligig beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whirligig%20beetle. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
whirligig beetle
noun
: any of a family of beetles that live mostly on the surface of water where they swim about in circles
More from Merriam-Webster on whirligig beetle
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about whirligig beetle
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