Home UK English bum-clock

Meaning of bum-clock in English:

bum-clock

Pronunciation /ˈbʌmklɒk/

noun

dialect, historical, rare Scottish, British

  • A large beetle that flies with a loud humming or buzzing noise, perhaps Geotrupes stercorarius (family Geotrupidae).

    Also called dor-beetle, drone-beetle: see the first element.

Origin

Late 18th century; earliest use found in Robert Burns (1759–1796), poet. From bum + clock.