Scarabaeus

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Scarabaeus \Scar`a*bae"us\, n.
     Same as {Scarab} in both senses.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  scarabaeus


       n : scarabaeid beetle considered divine by ancient Egyptians
           [syn: {scarab}, {Scarabaeus sacer}]
       [also: {scarabaei} (pl)]

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  SCARABAEUS, n.  The sacred beetle of the ancient Egyptians, allied to
  our familiar "tumble-bug."  It was supposed to symbolize immortality,
  the fact that God knew why giving it its peculiar sanctity.  Its habit
  of incubating its eggs in a ball of ordure may also have commended it
  to the favor of the priesthood, and may some day assure it an equal
  reverence among ourselves.  True, the American beetle is an inferior
  beetle, but the American priest is an inferior priest.