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Glite Dictionary
stag beetle

stag beetle

1 6.4
A large beetle whose male has big jaws that look like stag antlers
  • noun
  • /stæɡ ˈbiːtəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : escarabajo ciervo
  • During the summer, we often see a stag beetle in our garden at night.

Examples

  • At first I studied the Rhaetulus didieri, or stag beetle.

    Kinsey (2004)

  • Embedded, an overturned stag beetle waves its legs helplessly.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • The male stag beetle can be identified by its large, antler-like mandibles.

  • My friend keeps a stag beetle as a pet and takes care to feed it every day.

Synonyms

beetle
vsstag beetle
95 1.0

A small insect with hard front wings that cover its back and a mouth for chewing

is a specific large male with branched mandibles resembling antlers

Surface Forms

stag beetle singular
stag beetles plural

Morphology

stag + beetle

The compound is directly compositional: a 'stag beetle' is a beetle characterized by features reminiscent of a stag (large antler‑like mandibles). This noun+noun resemblance pattern is transparent and cross‑linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows 'stag' and 'beetle' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Stag beetle gets its name from the male insect's very large, branched jaws that look like the antlers of a stag, or male deer, so the name helps you picture the beetle.