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deathwatch beetle

noun

Definition of deathwatch beetle 

: any of various small beetles (family Anobiidae, especially Xestobium rufovillosum) that bore in seasoned or dead wood (as of old buildings) and make a tapping noise as a mating call

First Known Use of deathwatch beetle

1877, in the meaning defined above

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The first known use of deathwatch beetle was in 1877

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about deathwatch beetle

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