Meanings
nounlightning beetle (plural lightning beetles)
plural lightning beetles
- Any beetle of the family Lampyridae, which exhibit bioluminescence
Synonyms: lightning bug, firefly, glowworm
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny beetle of the family Lampyridae, which exhibit bioluminescence
Similar
Origin
From lightning + beetle, because the insects glow; whence also firefly.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
lightning beetle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightning%20beetle
MLA
“lightning beetle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightning%20beetle. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lightning beetle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightning%20beetle.
Source: lightning beetle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.