ground beetle

noun

: any of a large cosmopolitan family (Carabidae) of soil-inhabiting usually carnivorous often shiny black or metallic beetles commonly having fused elytra

Examples of ground beetle in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to The Guardian, entomologist Terry Erwin named a species of ground beetle found in Costa Rica in 2002 after Titanic actress Kate Winslet, calling the insect Agra katewinsletae. — Kelli Bender, People.com, 1 Dec. 2024 Photo: Ellie Atkins A 21-year-old Potter’s drawings of a ground beetle. — Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ground beetle was in 1848

Rhymes for ground beetle

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ground beef
ground beetle
groundberry
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Cite this Entry

“Ground beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ground%20beetle. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ground beetle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ground beetle

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