tortoise beetle

noun

: any of various chrysomelid beetles (subfamily Cassidinae) with leaf-eating larvae

Examples of tortoise beetle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Sciencey GIFs and Images∞ Opportunity, the loneliest robot, seen here crawling Mar's Murray Ridge from orbit Evolution sent the tortoise beetle from the future. Kyle Hill, Discover Magazine, 23 Feb. 2014 Larvae of Chelymorpha alternans, commonly known as tortoise beetles, shroud themselves for protection with fecal coverings in the form of coatings, fecal cases or fecal shields. Prayan Pokharel, Smithsonian, 17 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tortoise 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

circa 1711, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tortoise beetle was circa 1711

Dictionary Entries Near tortoise beetle

Cite this Entry

“Tortoise beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tortoise%20beetle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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