dung beetle

noun

: a beetle (such as a tumblebug) that rolls balls of dung in which to lay eggs and on which the larvae feed

Examples of dung 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.
An hour into the bush and a dung beetle had already pushed its namesake orb across our path. — AFAR Media, 30 Oct. 2025 And while dung beetles use the light of stars to travel a few dozen feet, no insect had been documented using stellar navigation to travel. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 18 June 2025 Therefore, this study unravels the mechanisms of how dung beetles roll dung balls and adapt their leg movements to stably roll balls over different terrains for multitasking robots. — IEEE Spectrum, 15 Nov. 2024 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 See All Example Sentences for dung beetle

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1634, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dung beetle was circa 1634

Rhymes for dung beetle

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Browse Nearby Words

dung bath
dung beetle
Dungeness crab
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dung beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dung%20beetle. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dung beetle

noun
: a beetle (as a tumblebug) that rolls balls of dung in which to lay eggs and on which the larvae feed

More from Merriam-Webster on dung beetle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dung beetle

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