Weevil

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːvÉ™l

Origin

From Middle English wevel, from Old English wifel, from Proto-Germanic *wibilaz (compare Dutch tortwevel (""), Low German Scharnwevel, German Wiebel ("beetle, chafer")), from Proto-Indo-European *webʰel (compare Lithuanian vãbalas ("beetle, weevil"), dialectal Russian веблица (veblica, "intestinal worm")), from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ-, *h₁webʰ- ("to weave, wave"). More at weave and wave.

Full definition of weevil

Noun

1. Any of several small herbivorous beetles in the superfamily Curculionoidea. Many of them have a distinctive snout.
2. Any of several small herbivorous beetles in the family Curculionidae belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea.
3. Any of several similar but more distantly related beetles such as the biscuit weevil.

Synonyms

• (beetle of the family Curculionidae) snout beetle, true weevil

Derived terms