n. Any of several scarab beetles, including the cockchafer, leaf chafer and rose chafer
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. One who chafes.
n. A vessel for heating water; -- hence, a dish or pan.
n. A kind of beetle; the cockchafer. The name is also applied to other species.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A name commonly given to several species of lamellicorn beetles, Scarabæidæ
n. One who or that which chafes.
n. A vessel for heating water, food, etc.; a chafing-dish.
n. Hence Any dish or pan.
n. A small portable furnace; a chauffer. E. H. Knight. Also chaffer.
Word Usage
"I believe, in contradiction to most etymologists, that the Egyptian scarab, chepera, is our word chafer, French cafard, and possibly Italian scarafaggio."