deathwatch
- noun
- /ˈdɛθˌwɑtʃ/
- Specialized
:
lípido
- In many libraries, the presence of deathwatch beetles is a serious concern for the preservation of documents.
Examples
-
Of this novel, Gronfeldt says, "The book has only one voice, that of the carpenter Severin Hansen, who is in a constant dialogue with himself in his indefatigable quest to understand his fellow beings, including the deathwatch beetle, a pest that works in the same wood as he."
Fiction book (1995) -
The deathwatch beetle is notorious for damaging old books and manuscripts.
-
Librarians often find it difficult to deal with deathwatch bugs that eat through rare paper collections.
Synonyms
A small wingless insect that eats and damages books and papers
A very small insect without wings that eats and damages old books and papers
A very small insect that has no wings and eats mold on books and paper and can damage them
A small insect that lives in damp indoor places and eats mold and book glue
Small insects that live on old books and paper
Compounds
- Literature
A small insect that makes holes in wood and a faint ticking sound people once believed warned of death
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Deathwatch was named after a small insect people heard ticking during a bedside watch, and the sound was linked to 'death'. Because these tiny pests were often found eating old papers and books, deathwatch also now means a minute insect that damages paper.
