water beetle

noun

: any of numerous oval flattened aquatic beetles (such as a diving beetle or whirligig beetle) that swim by means of their fringed hind legs which act together as oars

Examples of water beetle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The endangered Hungerford’s crawling water beetle, for example, can live close to potato fields. Byerik Stokstad, science.org, 27 June 2024 Normally, with 15 hours of daylight, the water beetles are up at the bottom of the ice. John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Apr. 2023 While that mind-set isn’t ironclad — the giant water beetle pheromone used on the raw oysters ($8 for two) is the real thing imported from Thailand — it’s given form to some unforgettable dishes. Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, 14 Nov. 2019 Like all insects, this edible water beetle contains significant amounts of fiber due to the chitin from their outer skeleton. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 25 Oct. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of water beetle was circa 1668

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Cite this Entry

“Water beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20beetle. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

water beetle

noun
: any of numerous oval flattened beetles (as a whirligig beetle) that are found in water and swim by means of their fringed hind legs which act together as oars

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