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A large heavy wooden beetle; a mallet for driving anything with force; a maul. Addison.

h a short handle, -- used esp. for driving a tool, as a chisel or the like; also, a light beetle with a long handle, -- used in playing croquet.

A kind of large field beet (B. macrorhiza), used as food for cattle, -- by some considered a mere variety of the ordinary beet. See Beet. [Written also mangold-wurzel.]

A heavy wooden hammer or beetle. [Written also mall.]

it at the forking. The root and leaves, used in medicine, are powerfully drastic. -- May beetle, May bug (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of large lamellicorn beetles that appear in the winged state in May. They belong to Melolontha, and allied genera. Called also June beetle. -- May Day, the first day of May; --…

Any substance that is coarsely pulverized like meal, but not granulated. Meal beetle (Zoöl.), the adult of the meal worm. See Meal worm, below. -- Meal moth (Zoöl.), a lepidopterous insect (Asopia farinalis), the larvæ of which feed upon meal, flour, etc. -- Meal worm (Zoöl.), the larva of a beetle (Tenebrio molitor)…

ive accompaniment, while the actor speaks; as, the melodrama in the gravedigging scene of Beethoven's "Fidelio".

A genus of beetles without wings, but having short oval elytra; the oil beetles. These beetles are sometimes used instead of cantharides for raising blisters. See Oil beetle, under Oil.

A beetle of the genus Melolontha, and allied genera. See May beetle, under May.

A large, ornamental, marine, univalve shell of the genus Melo. Melon beetle (Zoöl.), a small leaf beetle (Diabrotiea vittata), which damages the leaves of melon vines. -- Melon cactus, Melon thistle. (a) (Bot.) A genus of cactaceous plants (Melocactus) having a fleshy and usually globose stem with the surface divided…

her insects that destroy woolen and fur goods, etc., esp. the larvæ of several species of beetles of the genera Dermestes and Anthrenus. Carpet moths are often the larvæ of Anthrenus. See Carpet beetle, under Carpet, Dermestes, Anthrenus.

r grub that lives in muck or manure; -- applied to the larvæ of the tumbledung and allied beetles.

a collection of natural, scientific, or literary curiosities, or of works of art. Museum beetle, Museum pest. (Zoöl.) See Anthrenus.

A plant of the genus Muscari; grape hyacinth. Musk beaver (Zoöl.), muskrat (1). -- Musk beetle (Zoöl.), a European longicorn beetle (Aromia moschata), having an agreeable odor resembling that of attar of roses. -- Musk cat. See Bondar. -- Musk cattle (Zoöl.), musk oxen. See Musk ox (below). -- Musk deer (Zoöl.), a…

Any species of a tribe (Necrophaga) of beetles which, in the larval state, feed on carrion; a burying beetle.

Any one of numerous species of beetles of the genus Necrophorus and allied genera; -- called also burying beetle, carrion beetle, sexton beetle.

One of a family of clavicorn beetles, including those which have very long maxillary palpi.

One of a group of aquatic beetles (Palpicornia) having short club-shaped antennæ, and long maxillary palpi.

One of a tribe of beetles which feed upon the leaves of plants, as the chafers.

uratively, something offensive or nauseous which must be accepted or endured. Udall. Pill beetle (Zoöl.), any small beetle of the genus Byrrhus, having a rounded body, with the head concealed beneath the thorax. -- Pill bug (Zoöl.), any terrestrial isopod of the genus Armadillo, having the habit of rolling itself into…