firefly

Definition

Any beetle of the family Lampyridae, which exhibit bioluminescence during twilight.

Etymology

From fire + fly, because the insects glow; whence also lightning bug. Compare glow fly, glowworm, and lanternfly.

Example Sentences

• "2000, Exploring Life Science, 2: Bats—Cave Life, Marshall Cavendish, page 96, Fireflies are the best-known insects that produce light. […] Many fireflies use their light to communicate, particularly at mating time when males and females have to get together."
• "The luciferins are different in different species and today both the luciferin and luciferase in the firefly are available in the crystalline form."
• "Various other luciferase genes, especially the firefly luciferase gene, are also used for the study of gene regulation.[…]The classic use of bioluminescence, however, is the use of a luciferin-luciferase mixture from fireflies as an assay for ATP."

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