June n. The sixth month of the year, containing thirty days.
And what is so rare as a day in June?
Then, if ever, come perfect days. --Lowell.
June beetle, June bug Zool., any one of several species of large brown beetles of the genus Lachnosterna and related genera; -- so called because they begin to fly, in the northern United States, about the first of June. The larvæ of the June beetles live under ground, and feed upon the roots of grasses and other plants. Called also May bug or May beetle.
June grass Bot., a New England name for Kentucky blue grass. See Blue glass, and Illustration in Appendix.
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May, n.
1. The fifth month of the year, containing thirty-one days.
2. The early part or springtime of life.
His May of youth, and bloom of lustihood. --Shak.
3. Bot. The flowers of the hawthorn; -- so called from their time of blossoming; also, the hawthorn.
The palm and may make country houses gay. --Nash.
Plumes that mocked the may. --Tennyson.
4. The merrymaking of May Day.
Italian may Bot., a shrubby species of Spiraea (Spiraea hypericifolia) with many clusters of small white flowers along the slender branches.
May apple Bot., the fruit of an American plant (Podophyllum peltatum). Also, the plant itself (popularly called mandrake), which has two lobed leaves, and bears a single egg-shaped fruit at the forking. The root and leaves, used in medicine, are powerfully drastic.
May beetle, May bug Zool., any one of numerous species of large lamellicorn beetles that appear in the winged state in May. They belong to Melolontha, and allied genera. Called also June beetle.
May Day, the first day of May; -- celebrated in the rustic parts of England by the crowning of a May queen with a garland, and by dancing about a May pole.
May dew, the morning dew of the first day of May, to which magical properties were attributed.
May flower Bot., a plant that flowers in May; also, its blossom. See Mayflower, in the vocabulary.
May fly Zool., any species of Ephemera, and allied genera; -- so called because the mature flies of many species appear in May. See Ephemeral fly, under Ephemeral.
May game, any May-day sport.
May lady, the queen or lady of May, in old May games.
May lily Bot., the lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis).
May pole. See Maypole in the Vocabulary.
May queen, a girl or young woman crowned queen in the sports of May Day.
May thorn, the hawthorn.
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Cock·chaf·er n. Zool. A beetle of the genus Melolontha (esp. Melolontha vulgaris) and allied genera; -- called also May bug, chafer, or dorbeetle.
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May bug
n 1: any of various large European beetles destructive to
vegetation as both larvae and adult [syn: cockchafer,
May beetle, Melolontha melolontha]
2: any of various large usually brown North American
leaf-eating beetles common in late spring; the larvae feed
on roots of grasses etc. [syn: June beetle, June bug,
May beetle]