cockchafer

[ kok-chey-fer ]

noun

1. any of certain scarab beetles, especially the European species, Melolontha melolontha, which is very destructive to forest trees.

cockchafer

/ ˈkɒkˌtʃeɪfə /

noun

1. any of various Old World scarabaeid beetles, esp Melolontha melolontha of Europe, whose larvae feed on crops and grasses Also calledMay beetleMay bug

Word History and Origins

Origin of cockchafer¹

1685–95; cock ¹ (with reference to its size) + chafer

Word History and Origins

Origin of cockchafer¹

C18: from cock ¹+ chafer

Example Sentences

In third grade, he brought in a cockchafer beetle grub for show-and-tell, hoping to impress his classmates.

From New York Times

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had a cockchafer on my wall.

From The Guardian

For the unfamiliar, a cockchafer could be mistaken for a water bug but is in fact a giant beetle.

From US News

The humming of the screws overhead dropped an octave and a half, back through wasp and hornet to bumble bee, to cockchafer, to stag- beetle.

From Literature

To our question of why came his frantic reply: “A cockchafer fell down my pants!”

From Washington Post