1
: any of a family (Scarabaeidae) of stout-bodied beetles (such as a dung beetle) with lamellate or fan-shaped antennae
2
: a stone or faience beetle used in ancient Egypt as a talisman, ornament, and a symbol of resurrection
Examples of scarab in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One of her favorite specimens was the rain beetle, a fuzzy scarab-like insect that can't feed as an adult, relying solely on fat stores from its larval stages.
—
Christine Mai-Duc, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
The old elegance of my heart became as small
As a coffin carved for a scarab which lived
Three thousand years ago and died of sun
And scalpel, supernatural, but musical.
—Lucie Brock-Broido, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
The measure would also classify the Carolina mantis as the state predator insect and the rainbow scarab, a dung beetle, as the soil conservation insect.
—Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice, 17 Feb. 2026
On board this ship were 10 tons of copper ingots, ceramic jars full of wine from Cyprus and oil from the Levant, glass beads, an Egyptian scarab of Queen Nefertiti of Egypt, and Aegean pots.
—Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scarab
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Christine Mai-Duc, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
The old elegance of my heart became as small
As a coffin carved for a scarab which lived
Three thousand years ago and died of sun
And scalpel, supernatural, but musical.
—Lucie Brock-Broido, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
The measure would also classify the Carolina mantis as the state predator insect and the rainbow scarab, a dung beetle, as the soil conservation insect.
—Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice, 17 Feb. 2026
On board this ship were 10 tons of copper ingots, ceramic jars full of wine from Cyprus and oil from the Levant, glass beads, an Egyptian scarab of Queen Nefertiti of Egypt, and Aegean pots.
—Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scarab
Cite this Entry
“Scarab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarab. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scarab
noun
scar·ab
ˈskar-əb 
1
: any of a family of large stout beetles (as a dung beetle)
2
: an ornament or a gem made to represent a scarab
especially
: one used in ancient Egypt as a symbol of eternal life
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