Meanings
plural firebugs
- Pyrrhocoris apterus, a common red and black insect, that is the type species of the family Pyrrhocoridae.
- slangA pyromaniac or arsonist.
But the firebug allegedly ran back inside yelling before he finally took off.
2024 August 9, Gabriella Bass, Jorge Fitz-Gibbon and Joe Marino, “Firebug accused of torching NYC building, injuring 9 is freed without bail, back in neighborhood”, in New York Post1 more example
In the video, she can be heard explaining to the firebugs that she has been working with victims of the wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate.
2025 January 12, Jared Downing, “TikToker captures careless idiots releasing lantern balloons on Southern California beach as LA burns: ‘ Do you even know what’s happening?’”, in New York Post
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna criminal who illegally sets fire to property
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*péh₂wr̥
- Proto-Germanic*fōr
- Proto-West Germanic*fuir
- Old Englishfȳr
- Middle Englishfyr
- Englishfire
- Englishbug
- Englishfirebug
Translations
Bulgarian светулка, подпалвач
- светулка (svetulka)Pyrrhocoris apterus
- подпалвач (podpalvač)pyromaniac or arsonist
Catalan coralet, piròman
- coraletPyrrhocoris apterus
- piròmanpyromaniac or arsonist
- piròmanapyromaniac or arsonist
Czech žhář
- žhářpyromaniac or arsonist
Esperanto ruĝa cimo
- ruĝa cimoPyrrhocoris apterus
Finnish tulilude
- tuliludePyrrhocoris apterus
French gendarme, pyrrhocore
- gendarmePyrrhocoris apterus
- pyrrhocorePyrrhocoris apterus
- pyromanepyromaniac or arsonist
German Feuerwanze, Feuerteufel
- FeuerwanzePyrrhocoris apterus
- Feuerteufelpyromaniac or arsonist
Greek πυγολαμπίδα, κωλοφωτιά
- πυγολαμπίδα (pygolampída)Pyrrhocoris apterus
- κωλοφωτιά (kolofotiá)Pyrrhocoris apterus
Hungarian gyújtogató
- gyújtogatópyromaniac or arsonist
Japanese 放火魔
- 放火魔 (hōkama)pyromaniac or arsonist
Polish kowalik, tramwajarz
- kowalikPyrrhocoris apterus
- tramwajarzPyrrhocoris apterus
- piromanpyromaniac or arsonist
- piromankapyromaniac or arsonist
- podpalaczpyromaniac or arsonist
- podpalaczkapyromaniac or arsonist
Romanian vaca-domnului
- vaca-domnuluiPyrrhocoris apterus
Russian клоп-солдатик, поджигатель
- клоп-солдатик (klop-soldatik)Pyrrhocoris apterus
- поджигатель (podžigatelʹ)pyromaniac or arsonist
Spanish chinche de la malva arbórea, pirómano
- chinche de la malva arbóreaPyrrhocoris apterus
- pirómanopyromaniac or arsonist
Turkish alev tahtakurusu
- alev tahtakurusuPyrrhocoris apterus
Welsh llyslau tanbaid, bonffaglwr
- llyslau tanbaidPyrrhocoris apterus
- bonffaglwrpyromaniac or arsonist
Cite this entry
firebug. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/firebug
“firebug.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/firebug. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “firebug,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/firebug.
Source: firebug on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.