firebug
firebug Lexical Profile
firebug Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A person who deliberately or compulsively sets destructive fires; an arsonist or pyromaniac.
"Investigators concluded that a local firebug was responsible for the string of abandoned warehouse blazes."
A common red-and-black true bug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) of the family Pyrrhocoridae, widespread across Eurasia and parts of North America, known for forming large aggregations and feeding primarily on the seeds of lime trees and mallows.
"Clusters of red-and-black firebugs gathered on the sunny bark at the base of the linden tree."
North American A bioluminescent winged beetle of the family Lampyridae that produces flashes of light from its abdomen; a firefly or lightning bug.
"The children ran across the twilight lawn trying to catch a glowing firebug in a glass jar."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in late 19th-century American English, combining 'fire' with 'bug' in the informal sense of an enthusiast or person obsessed with a particular craze, alongside literal use for glowing or red-colored insects.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.