beetle > define

noun

• Insect having biting mouthparts and front wings modified to form horny covers overlying the membranous rear wings.
• A tool resembling a hammer but with a large head (usually wooden); used to drive wedges or ram down paving stones or for crushing or beating or flattening or smoothing.
  • synonyms: mallet

verb

• Be suspended over or hang over.
  • usage: "This huge rock beetles over the edge of the town"
  • synonyms: overhang
• Fly or go in a manner resembling a beetle.
  • usage: "He beetled up the staircase"; "They beetled off home"
• Beat with a beetle.

adjective

• Jutting or overhanging.
  • usage: "beetle brows"
  • synonyms: beetling

• (v.t.) To beat with a heavy mallet.
• (v.t.) Any insect of the order Coleoptera, having four wings, the outer pair being stiff cases for covering the others when they are folded up. See Coleoptera.
• (v.t.) To finish by subjecting to a hammering process in a beetle or beetling machine; as, to beetle cotton goods.
• (v.t.) A heavy mallet, used to drive wedges, beat pavements, etc.
• (v.t.) A machine in which fabrics are subjected to a hammering process while passing over rollers, as in cotton mills; -- called also beetling machine.
• (v.i.) To extend over and beyond the base or support; to overhang; to jut.