| lightning bug n. See firefly. Regional Note: Although firefly remains the literary and formal word, lightning bug is the term used by the majority of Americans for the slow-moving flying insect that flashes in the dark. Nearly 80 percent of those interviewed for the Dictionary of American Regional English volunteered lightning bug, while not quite 30 percent said firefly (including those who said both). Only in the northernmost states, especially New England, and along the Pacific coast, does firefly hold its own with lightning bug. Bug itself is nowadays an American term; since the 18th century, the British have preferred insect. |
lightning bug
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) US and Canadian another name for the firefly
fireflies, lightning bug - Fireflies glow for a while but die down; lightning bugs flash their taillights for only a few seconds and never in the same place twice.
See also related terms for seconds.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  lightning bug - nocturnal beetle common in warm regions having luminescent abdominal organsbeetle - insect having biting mouthparts and front wings modified to form horny covers overlying the membranous rear wings family Lampyridae, Lampyridae - fireflies glowworm - the luminous larva or wingless grub-like female of a firefly |
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