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furniture beetle
noun
: a widespread beetle (Anobium punctatum of the family Anobiidae) that bores in and damages furniture and seasoned wood
Examples of furniture beetle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These two holes were made by separate species of beetle, and through a process of elimination, Hedges identified the culprits– the common furniture beetle (Anobium punctatum) in northern Europe, and the Mediterranean furniture beetle (Oligomerus ptilinoides) in southern Europe.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 21 Nov. 2012
Naturally, the couple then had their home inspected—only to learn that furniture beetles were lurking in their wooden pieces.
—Kelsey Mulvey, House Beautiful, 5 July 2023
Additional protective features include a double-waterproofed roof with special leak detection technology, green lights that capture harmful bugs such as the common furniture beetle, and security systems programmed to shield artifacts from fire and terrorist attacks.
—Jacob Muñoz, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Feb. 2021
But the woodcuts revealed that they were separated by an invisible line, which kept the common furniture beetle to the north and the Mediterranean one to the south.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 21 Nov. 2012
Bright green lighting fixtures hanging throughout the facility trap and kill dangerous enemies like the common furniture beetle.
—New York Times, 12 Feb. 2021
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Word History
First Known Use
1915, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near furniture beetle
Cite this Entry
“Furniture beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furniture%20beetle. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
More from Merriam-Webster on furniture beetle
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about furniture beetle
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