lightning bug en · NOUN
Etymology
From lightning + bug, because the insects glow; whence also firefly. Compare glow fly, glowworm, and lanternfly.
Meanings
-
A firefly.
I watched as lightning bugs drifted in, glowing yellow against the shadows.
2019, Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Water Dancer, Penguin Books (2020), page 18:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| lightning bugs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |