sexton beetle : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: sexton beetle	by the DICT Development Group
3 results for sexton beetle
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Necrophore \Nec"ro*phore\, n. [Gr. [?] a dead body + [?] to bear.] (Zo[94]l.) Any one of numerous species of beetles of the genus {Necrophorus} and allied genera; -- called also {burying beetle}, {carrion beetle}, {sexton beetle}.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Sexton \Sex"ton\, n. [OE. sextein, contr. fr. sacristan.] An under officer of a church, whose business is to take care of the church building and the vessels, vestments, etc., belonging to the church, to attend on the officiating clergyman, and to perform other duties pertaining to the church, such as to dig graves, ring the bell, etc. {Sexton beetle} (Zo[94]l.), a burying beetle.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Carrion \Car"ri*on\, a. Of or pertaining to dead and putrefying carcasses; feeding on carrion. A prey for carrion kites. --Shak. {Carrion beetle} (Zo[94]l.), any beetle that feeds habitually on dead animals; -- also called {sexton beetle} and {burying beetle}. There are many kinds, belonging mostly to the family {Silphid[91]}. {Carrion buzzard} (Zo[94]l.), a South American bird of several species and genera (as {Ibycter}, {Milvago}, and {Polyborus}), which act as scavengers. See {Caracara}. {Carrion crow}, the common European crow ({Corvus corone}) which feeds on carrion, insects, fruits, and seeds.