Illustration of weevil
: any of a superfamily (Curculionoidea) of beetles which have the head prolonged into a more or less distinct snout and which include many that are destructive especially as larvae to nuts, fruit, and grain or to living plants
especially
: any of a family (Curculionidae) having a well-developed snout curved downward with the jaws at the tip and clubbed usually elbowed antennae
Examples of weevil in a Sentence
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These critters include wood wasps and various flies, weevils and other beetles and, of course, termites, those wood-eaters extraordinaire.
—
Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Like us, ancient people wanted fleas out of their homes, lice off their bodies, and weevils out of their grain supplies.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
Mark Hoddle, a biological control specialist and principal investigator at the UC Riverside Department of Entomology, previously told the La Jolla Light that the palm weevil will colonize a tree — particularly Canary Island date palms — and attract other weevils by releasing a pheromone.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
The South American palm weevil came north across the border in 2011 and headed straight for its preferred victim, the glamorous Canary Island palm.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025
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Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Like us, ancient people wanted fleas out of their homes, lice off their bodies, and weevils out of their grain supplies.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
Mark Hoddle, a biological control specialist and principal investigator at the UC Riverside Department of Entomology, previously told the La Jolla Light that the palm weevil will colonize a tree — particularly Canary Island date palms — and attract other weevils by releasing a pheromone.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
The South American palm weevil came north across the border in 2011 and headed straight for its preferred victim, the glamorous Canary Island palm.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for weevil
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“Weevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weevil. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
weevil
noun
wee·vil
ˈwē-vəl 
: any of a family of mostly small beetles that have the head long and usually curved downward to form a snout bearing the jaws at the tip and that include many that feed on and are very harmful to plants or plant products (as nuts, fruit, and grain) especially as larvae
called also snout beetle
compare boll weevilLove words? Need even more definitions?
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