scarab

noun

scar·​ab ˈsker-əb How to pronounce scarab (audio)
ˈska-rəb
1
: any of a family (Scarabaeidae) of stout-bodied beetles (such as a dung beetle) with lamellate or fan-shaped antennae
2
: a stone or faience beetle used in ancient Egypt as a talisman, ornament, and a symbol of resurrection

Examples of scarab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
There are balling-up-the-blanket moments as stampeding scarabs devour treasure hunters or when the skeletal and not-yet-human Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) attacks victims with the help of that dastardly Beni (Kevin J. O’Connor), but the violence is largely unseen. Dustin Nelson, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024 The necklace was designed as a graduated fringe, according to Hancocks London, and features motifs such as a winged enamel scarab, a large faience scarab and a carved carnelian shell. Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 11 Oct. 2024 Only on scarab can be attached to an enemy at once. Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024 Along with evidence of soldiers’ daily provisions, researchers found accessories and toiletries, like ivory applicators for kohl eyeliner, necklaces of carnelian and faience beads shaped like pomegranate blossoms, and scarabs engraved with deities’ names, per the statement. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scarab 

Word History

Etymology

Middle French scarabee, from Latin scarabaeus

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scarab was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near scarab

Cite this Entry

“Scarab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarab. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

scarab

noun
scar·​ab ˈskar-əb How to pronounce scarab (audio)
1
: any of a family of large stout beetles (as a dung beetle)
2
: an ornament or a gem made to represent a scarab
especially : one used in ancient Egypt as a symbol of eternal life

More from Merriam-Webster on scarab

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