Illustration of firefly
firefly
noun
fire·fly
ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌflī 
: any of various winged nocturnal beetles (especially family Lampyridae) that produce a bright soft intermittent light by oxidation of luciferin especially for courtship purposes
Examples of firefly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With their tiny, twinkling lights, fireflies are icons of a Georgia summer night.
—
Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 6 June 2026
Add a small pile of firewood to keep the soil cool and damp and provide a spot for firefly egg-laying.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 31 May 2026
The park is also debuting another attraction, the Nighttime Firefly Experience, a new year-round, immersive installation inspired by the Smoky Mountains’ rare synchronous fireflies.
—Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2026
Photographers captured the Perseids and Geminids meteor showers, a giant fireball streaking across the Florida coastline, and the Milky Way glowing above thousands of fireflies in Italy.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
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Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 6 June 2026
Add a small pile of firewood to keep the soil cool and damp and provide a spot for firefly egg-laying.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 31 May 2026
The park is also debuting another attraction, the Nighttime Firefly Experience, a new year-round, immersive installation inspired by the Smoky Mountains’ rare synchronous fireflies.
—Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2026
Photographers captured the Perseids and Geminids meteor showers, a giant fireball streaking across the Florida coastline, and the Milky Way glowing above thousands of fireflies in Italy.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for firefly
Cite this Entry
“Firefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firefly. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
firefly
noun
fire·fly
ˈfī(ə)r-ˌflī
: any of numerous night-flying beetles that produce a bright soft flashing light for courtship purposes
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