Synonyms

firefly

American

[fahyuhr-flahy] / ˈfaɪərˌflaɪ /

noun

plural

fireflies

any nocturnal beetle of the family Lampyridae, characterized by a soft body with a light-producing organ at the rear of the abdomen.

firefly British

/ ˈfaɪəˌflaɪ /

noun

any nocturnal beetle of the family Lampyridae , common in warm and tropical regions, having luminescent abdominal organs See also glow-worm
any tropical American click beetle of the genus Pyrophorus , esp P. noctiluca , that have luminescent thoracic organs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of firefly

First recorded in 1650–60; fire + fly ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It was like staring into a field of fireflies, twinkling and blinking and vanishing and reappearing.

From Literature

By the end of the first episode, Samira is determined to stay in Hinkley Hills, warmed by new friends, enchanted by the fireflies and in love with the “sweet suburban air.”

From Los Angeles Times

A pair of fireflies blinked over Aunt Pretty’s peony bed.

From Literature

They floated out to sea like a swarm of fireflies against the dark water.

From Literature

Tears shone like fireflies against their furred cheeks.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023