potato-beetle1
/pəˈteɪtəʊˌbɪːtl/Scottish and Irish English
noun
A wooden pestle for mashing potatoes.
Origin
Early 19th century; earliest use found in John Galt (1779–1839), novelist. From potato + beetle.
potato beetle2
/pəˈteɪtəʊ ˌbiːtl/noun
A beetle which infests potato or sweet potato plants; specifically (a) (more fully Colorado potato beetle) a yellow leaf beetle with longitudinal black stripes on the elytra, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, which is native to North America and whose red larvae are highly destructive to potato plants; (b) (more fully three-lined potato beetle) a yellow or reddish yellow leaf beetle with three longitudinal black stripes on each elytron, Lema trilineata, which is native to North America and infests potato plants and other plants of the family Solanaceae.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Harper's Magazine. From potato + beetle.
- ballista
- Balliste
- ballistic
- ballistically
- ballistic camera
- ballistic electron emission microscopy
- ballistic galvanometer
- ballistician
- ballistic missile
- Ballistic Missile Defense Organization
- ballistic nylon
- ballistic pendulum
- ballistic rocket
- ballistics
- ballistic trajectory
- ballistite
- ballistocardiogram
- ballistocardiograph
- ballistocardiographic
- ballistocardiography
- ballistospore
- ballium
- Ball, John
- ball joint
- ball-less