The beetle is a type of insect with hard, shell-like wing covers that protect its delicate flying wings underneath. When a beetle is resting, these covers fold neatly over its back like a suit of armor. There are more species of beetles than any other creature on Earth: over 400,000 different kinds, from tiny ladybugs to giant rhinoceros beetles as big as your fist.

Beetles live almost everywhere: in forests, deserts, ponds, and even your backyard. Some beetles, like fireflies (which are actually beetles, not flies!), light up summer nights. Others, like dung beetles, perform the unglamorous but important work of cleaning up animal waste. The ancient Egyptians considered certain beetles sacred and carved them into jewelry and monuments.

The word beetle can also mean to jut out or overhang, like when a cliff beetles over a valley. You might also hear about someone's beetle brows, which means eyebrows that stick out prominently over the eyes.

When something beetles along, it moves quickly and purposefully, much like the busy scurrying of the insect itself.