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scar·ab

(skărəb)

1. Any of numerous beetles of the family Scarabaeidae; a scarabaeid.

2. The scarabaeid beetle Scarabaeus sacer, regarded as sacred by the ancient Egyptians.

3. A representation of this beetle, such as a ceramic or stone sculpture or a cut gem, used in ancient Egypt as a talisman and a symbol of the soul. Also called scarabaeus.

[French scarabée, from Latin scarabaeus, from Greek kārabos, spiny lobster, longhorn beetle.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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