weevil

C2 Topic:Animals
US /ˈwiːvəl/ UK /ˈwiːvəl/
noun Freq #34613

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    a plant-eating beetle, typically with a long snout, many species of which damage stored grain or crops

    A grain weevil had infested the peas stored in the cellar.

  2. 2
    noun

    any of several similar beetles that infest food products or plants

    The biscuit weevil can survive inside packages of dry food.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a plant-eating beetle,... snout beetle
2 noun · any of several similar... pest beetle
Word family
Forms weevil-beetlesweevils
Related forms Curculionoideabeetleboll weevilgrain weevil

Etymology

From Middle English wevel and Old English wifel, 'beetle,' from a Germanic word also reflected in German Wiebel. The deeper root may be related to wave or weave, perhaps referring to movement or to the woven-looking case of a larva.

Topics

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