Meanings
nounwhirligig beetle (plural whirligig beetles)
plural whirligig beetles · alternative whirligig
- Any of various water beetles of the family Gyrinidae that swim rapidly in circles when alarmed.
Synonyms: gyrinid, mellow bug
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny of various water beetles of the family Gyrinidae that swim rapidly in circles when alarmed.
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Also see
Origin
So called due to its behavior of spinning rapidly in place when alarmed, in a manner similar to a whirligig or spinning top.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic دُوَّامَة, جِرِنُوسِيَّة
- دُوَّامَة (duwwāma)water beetle of the Gyrinidae
- جِرِنُوسِيَّة (jirinūsiyya)water beetle of the Gyrinidae
French tourniquet, gyrin
- tourniquetwater beetle of the Gyrinidae
- gyrinwater beetle of the Gyrinidae
Latin gyrinida
- gyrinidawater beetle of the Gyrinidae
Russian жук-вертя́чка, вертя́чка
- жук-вертя́чка (žuk-vertjáčka)water beetle of the Gyrinidae
- вертя́чка (vertjáčka)water beetle of the Gyrinidae
Spanish girínido
- girínidowater beetle of the Gyrinidae
Ukrainian вертячка
- вертячка (vertjačka)water beetle of the Gyrinidae
Cite this entry
APA
whirligig beetle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whirligig%20beetle
MLA
“whirligig beetle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whirligig%20beetle. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “whirligig beetle,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whirligig%20beetle.
Source: whirligig beetle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.