firefly
firefly — noun
- fireflysingular
- firefliesplural
1. a small flying beetle that produces a flashing yellow-green light from the rear
a small flying beetle that produces a flashing yellow-green light from the rear of its body, most often seen on warm evenings in summer
On warm summer nights, the children caught fireflies and watched them glow in a jar.
catch + fireflies (verb-object collocation for capturing)
A firefly's flashing light helps it find a mate during the breeding season.
singular possessive: firefly's + light (noun as subject with 's)
Hoa pointed at a single firefly blinking near the old oak tree in the garden.
On the camp hike, the ranger showed the children that fireflies are actually beetles, not flies.
Quinn and Ritu sat on the porch watching fireflies flicker across the lawn.
- lightning bug
regional synonym used mainly in the southern and midwestern United States
- glowworm
usually refers to the wingless larval or female form of certain firefly species, not the adult flying insect
用法筆記
The firefly is a type of beetle, not a true fly. In some parts of the United States, it is also called a 'lightning bug'.