Weevil
/ˈwiːvəl/noun
A small beetle whose larvae feed on and damage grain, seeds, or wood.
Did you know?English weevil is ultimately related to Old English wefan, meaning “to weave,” likely from the insect’s webby, crawling appearance rather than any magical meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*webʰ-
“to weave, plait”
Old English
OE
wefan
“to weave”
Old English
OE
wifel
“beetle, weevil”
Middle English
ME
wevel
“weevil, beetle”
Modern English
English
weevil
“a beetle that feeds on grain or plants”