英语词汇beetle的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

beetle. Born to bite, beetles take their name from the Old En- glish word bitula, meaning “biter.” The species of beetle called dermestes derive their name from the Greek words for “skin or leather” and “to eat,” meaning what an entomologist-etymologist in the early 19th century observed: that they ate even the hides of dead animals. Dermestes are interesting little beetles that play possum when touched. Actually, their larvae do the eating, and they demolish everything on a dead animal. They’re so thor- ough that large museums sometimes keep a colony on hand to clean delicate specimens to the bone instead of risking chemical or mechanical means.

词汇	beetle
词源	beetle. Born to bite, beetles take their name from the Old En- glish word bitula, meaning “biter.” The species of beetle called dermestes derive their name from the Greek words for “skin or leather” and “to eat,” meaning what an entomologist-etymologist in the early 19th century observed: that they ate even the hides of dead animals. Dermestes are interesting little beetles that play possum when touched. Actually, their larvae do the eating, and they demolish everything on a dead animal. They’re so thor- ough that large museums sometimes keep a colony on hand to clean delicate specimens to the bone instead of risking chemical or mechanical means.
随便看	sea urchin seaweed secateurs secede seckel pear second adam second childhood second commandment second fiddle second rate second string secret secretariat secretary secretary bird secret service secret weapon securities sedulous ape see eye to eye seeing eye dog seeing stars seen better days see no evil hear no evil speak no evil see red