Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A firefly or phosphorescent beetle of the family Lampyridæ, related to the European glow-worms.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Another name for the firefly.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun nocturnal beetle common in warm regions having luminescent abdominal organs

Etymologies

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Comments

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  • See firefly

    February 23, 2008

  • “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

    - Letter to George Bainton from Mark Twain, 10/15/1888

    February 1, 2016