[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/beetle/)

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# beetle

noun (beetle, beetles); verb (beetle off — hurry away, rare)

«beetle» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A beetle is an insect with a hard shiny back. Like all insects it has 6 legs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/#m1)
2. The hard back is really a pair of wing cases that cover thin wings, so most beetles can fly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/#m2)
3. There are more kinds of beetle than of any other animal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/#m3)

### In the lessons

In school maths: a counted animal with 6 legs, used in legs puzzles (beetles and spiders). In science: insects have 6 legs, 3 body parts and often wings; ladybirds (ladybugs) are beetles; beetles help break down dead plants. In stories and everyday life: finding beetles under logs, a bug hunt. Phrases: «a dung beetle», «a stag beetle», «busy as a beetle».

### Examples

- A beetle has 6 legs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/#x1)
- Spiders and beetles have 54 legs in all. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/#x2)
- Tom found 7 beetles in the garden. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/#x3)
- How many legs do 4 beetles have? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/#x4)
- A ladybird is a kind of beetle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/#x5)
- We went on a bug hunt and found three beetles under a log. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/#x6)
- The dung beetle rolls a ball of dung. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/#x7)
- The beetle opened its shell and flew away. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/#x8)
- The Beetle smote upon the drum. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/#x9)

### Note

Countable: «a beetle». A beetle is an insect; a spider is not. Maths: hides «6 legs each». Trap: the number 6 is not written; a spider has 8, a beetle 6.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «beetle» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beetle/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«beetle» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/beetle.html) on Mova free.