noun
dumbledore
DUHM-buhl-daw
noun
1
An old dialect word for a bumblebee.
"A fat dumbledore droned lazily among the clover."
2
A dialect word for certain beetles, such as the cockchafer or dung beetle.
"The children caught a dumbledore in a jam jar."
3
A clumsy or bumbling person.
"Stop being such a dumbledore and watch where you're walking."
How to Use Dumbledore
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old rural English word for a bumblebee or similar insect; also a clumsy person.
Memory tip
You may recognise this as the surname of a famous fictional headmaster — J. K. Rowling borrowed the old dialect word for "bumblebee" because she pictured the character humming to himself.
Trace the full origin ↓Word Forms
dumbledores plural
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A fat _____ droned lazily among the clover.
Etymology
A compound of dialect dumble (similar to "bumble") and dor, an old word for a buzzing flying insect.