Bee"tle (bē"t'l), n. [OE. betel,
AS. bītl, b&?;tl, mallet, hammer, fr.
beátan to beat. See Beat, v. t.]
1. A heavy mallet, used to drive wedges, beat
pavements, etc.
2. A machine in which fabrics are subjected to a
hammering process while passing over rollers, as in cotton mills; -- called
also beetling machine. Knight.
Bee"tle (bē"t'l), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Beetled (-t'ld); p. pr. & vb. n.
Beetling.] 1. To beat with a heavy
mallet.
2. To finish by subjecting to a hammering process
in a beetle or beetling machine; as, to beetle cotton
goods.
Bee"tle, n. [OE. bityl, bittle,
AS. bītel, fr. bītan to bite. See Bite,
v. t.] Any insect of the order Coleoptera, having
four wings, the outer pair being stiff cases for covering the others when
they are folded up. See Coleoptera.
Beetle mite (Zoöl.), one of many
species of mites, of the family Oribatidæ, parasitic on
beetles. -- Black beetle, the common large black
cockroach (Blatta orientalis).
Bee"tle, v. i. [See Beetlebrowed.]
To extend over and beyond the base or support; to overhang; to
jut.
To the dreadful summit of the cliff
That beetles o'er his base into the sea.
Shak.
Each beetling rampart, and each tower sublime.
Wordsworth.
