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bur·y·ing beetle (bĕrē-ĭng)

Any of various black or black and orange beetles of the genus Nicrophorus that bury dead mice and other small animals on which they feed and lay their eggs. Also called sexton beetle.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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