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coleopteran

American  
[koh-lee-op-ter-uhn, kol-ee-] / ˌkoʊ liˈɒp tər ən, ˌkɒl i- /

adjective

  1. belonging or pertaining to the order Coleoptera.

noun

  1. a beetle.

coleopteran British  
/ ˌkɒlɪˈɒptərən /

noun

  1. any of the insects of the cosmopolitan order Coleoptera, in which the forewings are modified to form shell-like protective elytra. The order includes the beetles and weevils

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or belonging to the order Coleoptera

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
coleopteran Scientific  
/ kō′lē-ŏp′tər-ən,kŏl′ē- /

  1. Any of numerous insects of the order Coleoptera, characterized by forewings modified to form tough protective covers for the membranous hind wings. Coleopterans include the beetles, weevils, and fireflies.

Etymology

Origin of coleopteran

First recorded in 1840–50; Coleopter(a) + -an

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"A coleopteran struck me in the eye—one of the hydrophilidae family!"

From The Haunted Pajamas by Elliott, Francis Perry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.