beetle Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun insect having biting mouthparts and front wings modified to form horny covers overlying the membranous rear wings
noun a tool resembling a hammer but with a large head (usually wooden); used to drive wedges or ram down paving stones or for crushing or beating or flattening or smoothing
mallet.
verb be suspended over or hang over
overhang.
- This huge rock beetles over the edge of the town
verb fly or go in a manner resembling a beetle
- He beetled up the staircase
- They beetled off home
verb beat with a beetle
adjective satellite jutting or overhanging
beetling.
- beetle brows

OE. betel, AS. bitl, btl, mallet, hammer, fr. beátan to beat. See Beat, v. t.

A heavy mallet, used to drive wedges, beat pavements, etc.
A machine in which fabrics are subjected to a hammering process while passing over rollers, as in cotton mills; -- called also beetling machine. Knight.

imperfect & past participle Beetled present participle & verbal noun Beetling

To beat with a heavy mallet.
To finish by subjecting to a hammering process in a beetle or beetling machine; as, to beetle cotton goods.

OE. bityl, bittle, AS. btel, fr. btan to bite. See Bite, v. t.

Any insect of the order Coleoptera, having four wings, the outer pair being stiff cases for covering the others when they are folded up. See Coleoptera.

See Beetlebrowed.

To extend over and beyond the base or support; to overhang; to jut.
To the dreadful summit of the cliff That beetles o'er his base into the sea. Shak.

Each beetling rampart, and each tower sublime. Wordsworth.