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
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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

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of furniture beetle was in 1915

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.

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