The Greek roots of the word 'scarab'

'Scarab' is a word borrowed from Greek 'scarabeios'. The word entered the English language some time around 1579.

scarab [noun] [1579]

• any of a family (Scarabaeidae) of stout-bodied beetles (as a dung beetle) with lamellate or fan-shaped antennae
• a stone or faience beetle used in ancient Egypt as a talisman, ornament, and a symbol of resurrection

See 'scarab' on the Loan Words Map

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Etymology: Middle French 'scarabee' from Latin 'scarabaeus'

See more loan words from 1500s.