Bible Encyclopedias
Beetle

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

(0. Eng. bityl; connected with "bite"), a name commonly applied to those insects which possess horny wingcases; it is used to denote the cockroaches (black beetles), as well as the true beetles or Coleoptera, the two belonging to different orders of Insecta. The adjective "beetle-browed," and similarly "beetling" (of a cliff), are derived from the name of the insect. From another word (0. Eng. betel, connected with "beat") comes "beetle" in the sense of a mallet, and the "beetling-machine," which subjects fabrics to a hammering process.

Bibliography Information
Chisholm, Hugh, General Editor. Entry for 'Beetle'. 1911 Encyclopedia Britanica. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​bri/​b/beetle.html. 1910.