firebug

noun

fire·​bug ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌbəg How to pronounce firebug (audio)

Examples of firebug in a Sentence

after the second suspicious fire, police set a trap for the firebug
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.
The menacing firebug lit several blazes in South Ozone Park on July 4, including a house fire that left two residents hospitalized for more than a month. Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 19 Nov. 2024 The 49-year-old firebug threw the flaming liquid on the 23-year-old stranger as the downtown 1 train pulled into the Houston St. station about 2:45 p.m., cops said. Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 25 May 2024 And an even handier rundown of fireworks laws in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana for you firebugs. Cincinnati Enquirer, The Enquirer, 4 July 2023 Rogers reviewed call logs to guess their likely next target and alerted officers, who nabbed the firebugs in action. Jennifer Brett, ajc, 28 Sep. 2019 Some, like the radiantly red firebug, mutate aesthetically, their normally symmetrical designs warped and fractured. National Geographic, 30 Apr. 2018 There’s also a young son who is a firebug — and a cliche. Mark Kennedy, idahostatesman, 14 Dec. 2017 The measured pace and minimalism isn’t for everyone, but the firebug’s escalating, evolving motivations keep the film engaging. Seattle Times Staff, The Seattle Times, 25 May 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of firebug was in 1869

Dictionary Entries Near firebug

Cite this Entry

“Firebug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firebug. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

firebug

noun
fire·​bug -ˌbəg How to pronounce firebug (audio)
: a person who deliberately sets destructive fires : arsonist

More from Merriam-Webster on firebug

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