rove beetle

noun

: any of a family (Staphylinidae) of often predatory active beetles having a long body and very short elytra beneath which the wings are folded transversely

called also staphylinid

Illustration of rove beetle

Illustration of rove beetle

Examples of rove 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.
But the rove beetles are much, much more diverse than the ants. Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 27 Sep. 2023 For protection, many rove beetle lineages independently evolved diverse defense glands that spray noxious chemicals from different points on their abdomen. Quanta Magazine, 16 Aug. 2021 One of Andrew’s colleagues estimates that over 3 trillion insects from one family alone, the rove beetles, may have perished so far. Matt Simon, Wired, 8 Jan. 2020

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from rove entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1771, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rove beetle was circa 1771

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Cite this Entry

“Rove beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rove%20beetle. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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