lightning bug

noun

: firefly

Examples of lightning bug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Chasing lightning bugs on a summer night is a rite of passage for many young Indiana residents. — Indianapolis Star, IndyStar, 26 May 2025 The roadside produce stands, the slightly cooler mountain air, and the lightning bugs glowing in open fields provide all the makings of a nostalgic summer trip. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 June 2026 Think your back yard can get buggy in the summer—with mosquitoes, flies, moths, wasps, bees, lightning bugs, crickets, and more swarming, buzzing, and chirping everywhere? — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 June 2026 Imagine thousands of lightning bugs shining at the same time, emitting a pattern of five to eight flashes followed by a pause for several seconds before the flashing starts again. — Graham Averill, Outside, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lightning bug

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lightning bug was in 1778

Rhymes for lightning bug

See All Rhymes for lightning bug

Browse Nearby Words

lightning arrester
lightning bug
lightning calculator
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lightning bug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightning%20bug. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

lightning bug

noun
: firefly

More from Merriam-Webster on lightning bug

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lightning bug

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All