rhinoceros beetle

noun

: any of various large chiefly tropical scarab beetles (subfamily Dynastinae) having projecting horns on thorax and head

Illustration of rhinoceros beetle

Illustration of rhinoceros beetle

Examples of rhinoceros beetle 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.
The coconut rhinoceros beetle is native to Africa, China, Myanmar, India and Southeast Asia, according to the council. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024 The holdup caused a public outcry because the rule changes are intended to help the Agriculture Department stem the movement of commodities infested by pests, including coconut rhinoceros beetles. CBS News, 24 Oct. 2024 New England resident captures one on camera Where do the coconut rhinoceros beetles come from? Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024 Coconut rhinoceros beetles were detected for the first time on islands statewide in subsequent months, while little fire ants caused serious concern on Oahu's windward coast. CBS News, 24 Oct. 2024 Weapons also are probably molded by the type of fighting and where it’s done — as borne out by work on the shapes of rhinoceros beetle horns by evolutionary biologist Erin McCullough. Kendall Powell, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2019 The dung beetle’s coronation as the world’s strongest insect steals the thunder from the rhinoceros beetle, which can lift up to 850 times its own weight. Smriti Rao, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2010 In the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus, horns range from a stubby 7 millimeters to a towering 32. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 29 Oct. 2013 If the rhinoceros beetle were the size of an actual rhinoceros, its horn could be 16 feet long. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 29 Oct. 2013

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rhinoceros beetle was in 1681

Dictionary Entries Near rhinoceros beetle

Cite this Entry

“Rhinoceros beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhinoceros%20beetle. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on rhinoceros beetle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!