- burying beetle
- noun Date: 1818 any of various beetles (family Silphidae and especially genus Nicrophorus) that bury and lay eggs on the carcasses of small animals which provide a food source for the developing larvae
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
burying beetle
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Burying beetle — Nicrophorus americanus, American burying beetle Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia … Wikipedia
Burying beetle — Bury Bur y, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Buried}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Burying}.] [OE. burien, birien, berien, AS. byrgan; akin to beorgan to protect, OHG. bergan, G. bergen, Icel. bjarga, Sw. berga, Dan. bierge, Goth. ba[ i]rgan. [root]95. Cf. {Burrow}.] 1 … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
burying beetle — Carrion Car ri*on, a. Of or pertaining to dead and putrefying carcasses; feeding on carrion. [1913 Webster] A prey for carrion kites. Shak. [1913 Webster] {Carrion beetle} (Zo[ o]l.), any beetle that feeds habitually on dead animals; also called… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
burying beetle — Necrophore Nec ro*phore, n. [Gr. nekro s a dead body + fe rein to bear.] (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of numerous species of beetles of the genus {Necrophorus} and allied genera; called also {burying beetle}, {carrion beetle}, {sexton beetle}. [1913… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
burying beetle — n. (Zoology) sexton beetle, gravedigger, any type of black or black and orange beetles that bury dead mice or the carcasses of small animals … English contemporary dictionary
burying beetle — noun a black beetle which buries small animal carcasses to provide food for its larvae. [Nicrophorus and other genera.] … English new terms dictionary
burying beetle — /ˈbɛriɪŋ ˌbitl/ (say bereeing .beetl) noun any beetle of the genus Necrophorus, especially N. vestigator, that buries small creatures as food for its larvae …
burying beetle — any of various carrion beetles that bury the carcasses of small animals, esp. rodents, in which their eggs have been deposited. [1795 1805] * * * … Universalium
burying beetle — noun : any of various carrion beetles of Necrophorus, Silpha, and related genera that bury small dead animals by digging away the earth beneath them for the purpose of feeding their larvae on the fly maggots that develop in such carcasses … Useful english dictionary
Burying — Bury Bur y, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Buried}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Burying}.] [OE. burien, birien, berien, AS. byrgan; akin to beorgan to protect, OHG. bergan, G. bergen, Icel. bjarga, Sw. berga, Dan. bierge, Goth. ba[ i]rgan. [root]95. Cf. {Burrow}.] 1 … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
