cockchafer
Cockchafer (noun) means any of the large European beetles from the genus Melolontha that are destructive to vegetation.
Etymology
From cock (“male bird”) + chafer (“beetle”). The Oxford English Dictionary speculates that the name may relate to a resemblance of antennae to coxcomb, or to the beetle’s size. Compare French hanneton (“cockchafer”), ultimately from Frankish *hanō (“rooster”). First attested in the late 17th century.
Rhymes for cockchafer
See all rhymes for cockchafer →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of cockchafer?
"cockchafer" (noun) means any of the large European beetles from the genus Melolontha that are destructive to vegetation.
What are the different meanings of cockchafer?
"cockchafer" has 2 main meanings: 1. Any of the large European beetles from the genus Melolontha that are destructive to vegetation; 2. Any of various other similar beetles, such as of the genera Acrossidius, Cyphochilus, Rhopaea, etc.