Phrase guide

whirligig beetle

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of various water beetles of the family Gyrinidae that swim rapidly in circles when alarmed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gyrinid, mellow bug

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

aquatic beetle that circles rapidly on the water surface

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beetle

History

Etymology

So called due to its behavior of spinning rapidly in place when alarmed, in a manner similar to a whirligig or spinning top.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: دُوَّامَة (duwwāma) — water beetle of the Gyrinidae
  • Arabic: جِرِنُوسِيَّة (jirinūsiyya) — water beetle of the Gyrinidae
  • French: tourniquet — water beetle of the Gyrinidae
  • French: gyrin — water beetle of the Gyrinidae
  • Latin: gyrinida — water beetle of the Gyrinidae
  • Navajo: táłkááʼ chéłchaaʼ — water beetle of the Gyrinidae
  • Russian: жук-вертя́чка (žuk-vertjáčka) — water beetle of the Gyrinidae
  • Russian: вертя́чка (vertjáčka) — water beetle of the Gyrinidae
  • Spanish: girínido — water beetle of the Gyrinidae
  • Ukrainian: вертячка (vertjačka) — water beetle of the Gyrinidae
  • Unami: mamantuhwis — water beetle of the Gyrinidae