burying beetle

noun

: 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

Examples of burying beetle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Saint Louis Zoo pulled nearly $900,000 in money designated for conservation programs, including one dedicated to monitoring and reintroducing the endangered American burying beetle. Jennifer Oldham, BostonGlobe.com, 8 June 2020 Schwing: After 100 million years or so of practice, burying beetle parents have the job down cold...but also stench-free and ready for eating. Emily Schwing, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2021 The Center sued the USFWS on March 25 to challenge the Trump administration's downlisting of the American burying beetle from endangered to threatened. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2021 What’s the difference between a suburban parent and a burying beetle? Eva Frederick, Science | AAAS, 11 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burying beetle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of burying beetle was in 1818

Dictionary Entries Near burying beetle

Cite this Entry

“Burying beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burying%20beetle. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

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