any beetle of the family Silphidae that track carrion by a keen sense of smell
See also burying beetle
carrion beetle in American English
noun
any of the beetles of the family Silphidae that feed on and deposit their eggs in carrion
Word origin
[1810–20]This word is first recorded in the period 1810–20. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: duplex, dynamic, nihilism, triangulation, zombie
Examples of 'carrion beetle' in a sentence
carrion beetle
Once open, the spiked, bright red bloom even resembles rotting meat, a veritable welcome mat for the insects that pollinate it - flies and carrion beetles.