click beetle
1
7.6
- noun
- /klɪk ˈbiːtəl/
:
escarabajo clic
- Children observed the click beetle as it jumped back into position with a satisfying click.
Examples
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The click beetle can right itself and make a distinctive sound when flipped onto its back.
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During our hike, we spotted a click beetle flipping in the grass after being overturned.
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He hears click beetles.
Fiction book (1994)
Synonyms
1
9.9
An animal that flips into the air to turn upright with a loud click
A small beetle that jumps into the air with a click to flip itself upright when on its back
A long beetle that makes a loud click to flip itself upright
A beetle like a click beetle that makes a sharp click to flip and jump
A group of beetles that make a clicking sound to flip into the air when threatened
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines 'click' (a short sharp sound) with 'beetle' (an insect), so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a beetle associated with clicking — specifically a beetle that makes a clicking sound to right itself. This type of descriptive compound is compositional and cross-linguistically common, making the meaning predictable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Click beetle gets its name from the sharp click sound the insect makes and the way it flips itself into the air when it is on its back. It snaps its body to make a 'click' and jump upright, so the name means 'a beetle that clicks and flips'.