# beetle

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbiːtəl/ · frequency rank #14,277

## Definitions
1. Any of numerous species of insect in the order Coleoptera characterized by a pair of hard, shell-like front wings which cover and protect a pair of rear wings when at rest.
2. A game of chance in which players attempt to complete a drawing of a beetle, different dice rolls allowing them to add the various body parts.
3. Alternative letter-case form of Beetle (“car”).

## Etymology
From Middle English bitle, bityl, bytylle, from Old English bitula, bitela, bītel (“beetle”), from Proto-West Germanic *bitilō, *bītil, from Proto-Germanic *bitilô, *bītilaz (“that which tends to bite, biter, beetle”), equivalent to bite + -le. Cognate with Old High German bicco (“beetle”), Danish bille (“beetle”), Icelandic bitil, bitul (“a bite, bit”), Faroese bitil (“small piece, bittock”).

## Easily confused with
- **belle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beetle-vs-belle)
- **Bette** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beetle-vs-bette)
- **beets** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beetle-vs-beets)
- **bottle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beetle-vs-bottle)
- **Bertie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beetle-vs-bertie)
- **bustle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beetle-vs-bustle)
- **bestie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beetle-vs-bestie)
- **Bentley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beetle-vs-bentley)
- **beet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beet-vs-beetle)
- **Beebe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beebe-vs-beetle)
- **battle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/battle-vs-beetle)
- **beagle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beagle-vs-beetle)
- **Beatle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beatle-vs-beetle)
- **Beatles** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beatles-vs-beetle)

## Common misspellings (8)
`bbeetle`, `beelte`, `beetel`, `beetlle`, `beettle`, `betele`, `betle`, `ebetle`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/beetle