SKIP TO CONTENT

beetling

Something that's beetling sticks out over the top of something else. A beetling boulder behind your camp site projects out over it.

You're most likely to encounter the adjective beetling describing the way someone's bushy eyebrows jut out over his eyes: "The professor was distinguished by his sharp voice and his beetling brows." The word comes from the somewhat old fashioned verb beetle, "project or overhang," which in turn comes from the now-obsolete bitelbrouwed, "grim-browed or sullen." The Old English root is bitel, "sharp or sharp-edged."

Definitions of beetling
  1. adjective
    jutting or overhanging
    synonyms: beetle
    protrusive
    thrusting outward
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘beetling'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family