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
There were fireflies everywhere.
—
Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Wildlife habitats are certified by the National Wildlife Federation, firefly habitats are certified by Firefly Conservation and Research, and hummingbird havens are certified by the International Hummingbird Society.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025
In a breeze, the solar lights sway softly, flickering like fireflies.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The lives of the two children in the story, aged fourteen and four, are portrayed as being as fleeting as the fireflies, and the story is an unsentimental and unflinching account with moments of both tenderness and heartlessness.
—Ginny Tapley Takemori
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firefly
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Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Wildlife habitats are certified by the National Wildlife Federation, firefly habitats are certified by Firefly Conservation and Research, and hummingbird havens are certified by the International Hummingbird Society.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025
In a breeze, the solar lights sway softly, flickering like fireflies.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The lives of the two children in the story, aged fourteen and four, are portrayed as being as fleeting as the fireflies, and the story is an unsentimental and unflinching account with moments of both tenderness and heartlessness.
—Ginny Tapley Takemori
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firefly
Cite this Entry
“Firefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firefly. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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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